Pea shoots, pea tendrils, pea sprouts…what’s the difference?  Pea sprouts are the first thin stems that sprout after planting, are light green, and may or may not have leaves.  Pea tendrils are the delicate, curly vines at the top of the stem.  Pea shoots are the more mature stems with leaves and tendrils attached.  Pea shoots are sometimes called pea tendrils, pea greens or pea tips.

Pea shoots

If you’ve never had them, they taste just like…peas!  Their delicate sweetness and grassy crunch make them perfect for a springtime salad.  Plus they’re packed with nutrients — high in vitamin C, A, and protein.  Store them like you would your other salad greens (in the crisper drawer) and use within a couple or few days of purchase.  You can often find them at farmers markets, in CSA boxes, and they’re even popping up in some grocery stores.  Or, if you have a green thumb (unlike me), grow your own.  Here’s a nice How To link with video…I bet even I could do it!

Since citrus is still in season – I’ve been seeing a lot of mandarin oranges lately in my grocery store – I decided to pair the pea shoots with orange and added avocado for a creamy contrast of texture.  For the vinaigrette, I wanted some spiciness to balance the sweetness of the pea shoots and oranges so I added Thai garlic chili paste.  If you don’t have any, no worries, you can use sriracha plus a very small clove of minced garlic.  The dressing will taste fairly acidic, but after adding it to the salad ingredients – especially with the buttery avocado – it balances out nicely.

Add vinaigrette ingredients to a jar and shake

The pea shoots were roughly 6 – 8 inches long, so I piled them up and cut them into thirds to make them bite size.  I put them in a bowl and poured about a third of the dressing over top.  I gently tossed them in the dressing to coat them evenly, then placed the salad ingredients separately on a serving dish.  Pre-dressing the shoots allows the flavors to absorb.  I didn’t want to combine everything together in one bowl with the dressing because the avocado could get mushy and the pea shoots are fairly delicate.  This also allows the individual flavor of each ingredient to stand out rather than everything being over-mixed and the flavor too homogenous.

Salad ingredients ready for dishing up

I dish up the salad onto plates starting with a nice pile of dressed pea shoots, then a scattering of mandarin oranges and avocado, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, drizzle on a couple spoonfuls of the orange-chili vinaigrette, and finish with toasted sunflower seeds for a nutty crunch.

You know when food looks this colorful and pretty, with almost no help, it’s going to taste amazing

This is one flavorful plate of healthy springtime goodness!