Here’s a concise and helpful guide to using snow peas and sugar snap peas, two delightful vegetables with peas in their edible pods. Here you’ll find tips on buying and prepping, as well as a roundup of tasty plant-based recipes featuring snow peas and sugar snap peas.
Are snow peas and snap peas interchangeable in recipes? In a word, yes. Though they have slightly different profiles, each perfect swap-in for the other.
Handy tips for enjoying snow peas & snap peas
The following tips and information are adapted from Melissa’s Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce by Cathy Thomas, reprinted by permission of Melissa’s Produce:
Sugar snap peas have a sweet flavor profile inside and out. The outside shell is just as delectable as the plump peas inside. Snow peas (also called sno peas, mange-tout, or Chinese snow peas), are delectably delicate. Both maintain their bright green color and appealing crunch when cooked just until tender-crisp.
Sugar snap peas
Buying and storing snow peas and snap peas: Color of both snow and sugar snap peas should be bright green. Avoid any that are limp or that have soft spots or discoloration. Store unwashed in a perforated bag in the crisper drawer for up to 7 days for snow peas, or 10 days for sugar snap peas. Of course, the sooner used, the better.
Prepping snow peas and snap peas: Some have strings that need removal, others don’t. For snow peas, partially snap off the stem end, then pull toward the opposite end to remove the string. For sugar snap peas, there are often strings on both sides. Remove strings in the same way after trimming the stem ends.
Both types can be left whole or cut in half crosswise, depending on recipe instructions, but especially in the case of snap peas, it’s best to leave them whole.
Snow peas
Use raw or cooked: A very brief stir-fry or steaming, however, brings out the best flavor and texture.
Seasonal availability: Snow peas are seen in well-stocked produce sections year-round but their peak seasons are December to March and June to July. Sugar snap peas best season is spring. Look for them in local farm markets, where they’re at their freshest shortly after harvesting.
Best uses: Simply stem and de-string sugar snap peas blanch for the briefest time, until just barely tender-crisp, then rinse under cool running water. Serve as a snack, alone or with other raw vegetables and a dip. You can also use them, as you would snow peas, in stir-fries, soups, and salads.
Thank you to the talented bloggers who participated in this round-up for permission to reprint their photos and link to their recipes.
Stir-Fries, Sautés & Other Warm Dishes
Stir-Fried Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms with Snow Peas
Stir-Fried Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms with Snow Peas is a quick, tasty recipe to serve on its own or over rice or quinoa. Bok choy and shiitake mushrooms are just made for each other, a contrast in crunch and umami.
Buddha’s Delight
Buddha’s Delight: Featuring seitan, vegetables, baby corn, and mushrooms, this Buddha’s Delight recipe replicates a traditional recipe that has become a Chinese restaurant menu favorite.
Stir-Fried Soba Noodles with Tofu & Green Vegetables
Stir-Fried Soba Noodles with Tofu and Green Vegetables: Soba noodles with tofu, broccoli, green peas, mushrooms, and snow peas (or snap peas) come together in an easy vegan recipe. A quick, light dinner, it’s easy to make and pleasing to eat.
Easy Vegan Garlic Noodles
Easy Vegan Garlic Noodles: From Vegan Cocotte, these vegan garlic noodles are ready in a flash and taste way better than anything from a box. Forget takeout, and make this at home!
Snappy Pea Pasta for One
Snappy Pea Pasta for One: From Hannah Kaminsky at BittersweetBlog, a dish that celebrates the simplicity of spring with seared snap peas tossed with pasta, chickpeas, orange zest, and a handful of cilantro.
Easy Pad Pak (Thai Vegetable Stir-Fry)
Easy Pad Pak (Thai Vegetable Stir-Fry): From Health My Lifestyle, a Thai-inspired recipe that features crisp veggies and a delicious stir-fry sauce! It’s packed with salty, sweet, and umami flavors that take this simple side dish to the next level in just 30 minutes.
Spicy Chili Crisp Sautéed Snap Peas
Spicy Chili Crisp Sautéed Snap Peas: From Fresh Flavor, a quick and delicious side dish recipe making generous use of snap peas.
Salads and Cold Dishes Using Snow Peas or Snap Peas
Bok Choy & Red Cabbage Salad with Snow Peas
Bok Choy and Red Cabbage Salad with Snow Peas: In this colorful salad, the combination of crisp snow peas, bok choy, sprouts, and red cabbage is so appealing, and it’s a feast for the eyes, too. It’s all pulled together with the salty-tangy flavors of sesame-ginger dressing.
Orange Bean-Thread Noodle Salad with Crisp Vegetables
Orange Bean-Thread Noodle Salad with Crisp Vegetables: Flavored with an orange-infused sesame-ginger dressing, this bean-thread noodle salad is a perfect accompaniment to your favorite tofu or tempeh dish.
Cold Asian Noodle Bowls with Daikon & Carrot
Cold Asian Noodle Bowls with Daikon and Carrot: Daikon and carrot are a classic vegetable due in Japanese cuisine. Added to cold Asian noodle bowls like this one, the daikon radish and carrot combo makes a lovely warm-weather dish. Top with snow peas, of course!
Cold Udon Noodles with Crisp Asian Vegetables
Cold Udon Noodles with Crisp Asian Vegetables: Full of veggies that need only a little prep but no cooking, this dish of cold udon noodles with crisp Asian vegetables is delicious, simple fare for lunch or dinner, served at room temperature.
Three Pea Tea Salad
Three Pea Tea Salad: From Hannah Kaminsky at BittersweetBlog: In all their green glory, this simple salad combines snow peas, pea shoots, and English peas to showcase their myriad textures, flavors, and shapes.
Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Fior di Latte
Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Fior di Latte: From The Sidesmith. Mixing sweet sugar snap peas with a roasted cashew nut mix scattered against creamy Fior di latte and all tied together with a fresh chili basil oil, this easy and beautiful salad is ready to mingle at any picnic or barbecue.
Sweet Pea Salad with Mango and Mint
Sweet Pea Salad with Mango and Mint: From Abbe, This is How I Cook, a salad that’s not just pretty, but tastes amazing, too. Perfect for spring, this salad is a winner!
Snap Pea Salad
Snap Pea Salad: From This Wife Cooks, a salad that’s all about those crisp sugar snap peas. Crunchy almonds and a zesty lemon vinaigrette really make them shine.
Soups and Stews Using Snow Peas or Snap Peas
Quick Tofu Vegetable Soup with Napa Cabbage
Quick Tofu Vegetable Soup with Napa Cabbage: When you need a fast way to warm up, here’s a tofu vegetable soup that’s on the table quickly. Featuring cabbage, mushrooms, baby corn, snow or snap peas, and tofu, this soup recipe needs only the briefest of time on the stove.
Easy Hot and Sour Vegetable Soup
Easy Hot and Sour Vegetable Soup: Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients in this hot and sour vegetable soup recipe. It’s a super-easy soup to make, doesn’t take long to cook (the vegetables should be barely done), and is filled with invigorating textures and flavors.
Tofu Vegetable Ramen Soup
Tofu Vegetable Ramen Soup: Quick and colorful, this tofu vegetable ramen noodle soup will please anyone who loves Asian flavors. Enjoy snow or snap peas, bell pepper, baby corn, and noodles in a readymade broth, gently seasoned with ginger.
Vegan Curry Ramen
Vegan Curry Ramen: From Vegan Cocotte, spice up your dinner with this homemade vegan curry ramen! So easy to make and the bold flavors will definitely surprise you.
Spaghetti Squash Stew with Turnips & Snow Peas
Spaghetti Squash Stew with Turnips & Snow Peas: In this delectable stew, the noodle-like strands of this distinctive vegetable contrast with the crisp topping of turnips and snow peas.
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