These sesame snap peas are a quick and easy side dish. Toasted sesame oil and fresh garlic give the sweet, crisp sugar snap peas tremendous flavor. These peas have a crunchy yet tender texture that maintains even when sautéed.
It’s a great recipe to serve alongside any main course. We especially love it with meals that have an Asian flare like our lemongrass chicken satay.
Sugar snap peas are a cross between snow peas and English garden peas. They are sweeter and crunchier and they are delicious eaten raw or cooked. Their peak season is between March and early June so you are sure to find some fresh snap peas at your local supermarket.
With a unique combination of sweet and savory flavors, this easy recipe tastes great with just about anything.
Sesame Snap Peas Recipe
- Quick and easy side dish that goes with so many meals. Try it with our creamy coconut shrimp or for a healthier dinner, serve it with steamed salmon.
- This is a healthy, low carb dish and it is Paleo friendly
- It’s kid friendly. These are peas that kids love to eat. They are sweet, crisp, and nothing like those mushy canned peas that grandma used to serve.
Ingredients Needed for Sesame Snap Peas:
This recipe only calls for a few basic ingredients, such as:
- Canola oil
- Snap peas
- Garlic
- Freshly grated ginger
- Soy sauce
- Toasted sesame oil
- Toasted sesame seeds
How to Make the Recipe:
This recipe is super simple to make! Here are the steps needed to make your sesame snap peas:
- Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the snap peas and saute for 4 to 6 minutes until tender-crisp.
- Push the peas to the side of the skillet and add the garlic and ginger to the hot skillet. Stir for about 20 to 30 seconds then add the soy sauce, and sesame oil. Stir again for 1 more minute, tossing all of your remaining ingredients into your snap peas.
- Remove from heat and stir in the sesame seeds.
Chef’s Tips For Recipe Success:
- Make it spicy! Add some crushed red pepper flakes to your skillet for added flavor. Feel free to also serve these snap peas alongside chili sauce or another hot sauce, like sriracha. These snap peas are great for dipping as well due to their crunchy exterior.
- Use the sesame oil as a flavor enhancer and not a cooking oil. Sesame oil has a low smoke point and will burn very easily. Add it at the end of cooking and toss the peas just until the oil gets warm.
- The ginger and garlic will also burn if added to the skillet too soon. Let the sugar snap peas cook until they are tender-crisp before tossing in your garlic and ginger. Once these ingredients cook long enough to release their flavors, add the sesame oil.
- Once opened, sesame oil needs to be refrigerated or it will go rancid.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I substitute snow peas for this recipe?
Yes, you can use snow peas. Sugar snap peas do tend to be a bit sweeter, which is why I prefer to use them for this recipe.
How do you clean sugar snap peas?
Just rinse the peas under cold water to remove any dirt. More mature snap peas will have a tough stringy fiber running down the back. You can remove the string by pinching then end and pulling up on the fibrous string.
Do you need to peel snap peas?
No, you don’t need to peel sugar snap peas, you can eat the whole pod. You may want to remove the string as we mentioned above.
What is the difference between toasted and plain sesame oil?
Toasted sesame oil has a much richer, nuttier flavor than regular sesame oil. It is made from roasted or toasted sesame seeds and adds a flavor boost to your cooking.
Don’t substitute with regular sesame oil because you simply will not replicate the flavor of toasted sesame oil.
SOME OTHER RECIPES WE ARE SURE YOU WILL LOVE:
Green beans with bacon have an amazing way of getting everyone to finish eating their veggies. Bacon makes everything better.
Lebanese braised green beans will make it on the table in no time when you use the Instant Pot. Turn an otherwise long cooking time into a quick side dish.
Mint is a fantastic compliment to peas. Try it in our fresh green pea and mint soup.
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Sesame Snap Peas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 pound snap peas
- 4 to 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 to 3 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1-1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the snap peas and saute for 4 to 6 minutes until tender-crisp.
- Push the peas to the side of the skillet and add the garlic and ginger to the hot skillet. Stir for 20 to 30 seconds then add the soy sauce, and sesame oil. Stir for 1 more minute, tossing everything with the snap peas.
- Remove from heat and stir in the sesame seeds.
Notes
- The sesame oil, ginger, and garlic will burn if you add them to the skillet too soon. Let the sugar snap peas cook until they are tender-crisp before you add the garlic and ginger. Once the garlic and ginger cook enough to release their flavors, add the sesame oil and cook just long enough to warm it thoroughly. Use the sesame oil as a flavor enhancer and not as a cooking oil.
- Look for toasted sesame oil which has a much richer flavor than regular sesame oil.
John / Kitchen Riffs
Wednesday 28th of April 2021
Love snap peas! Haven't seen local ones in our market yet -- but I'm looking for them. :-) I'll definitely try this recipe when I do see them -- SO nice. Thanks!
Dahn Boquist
Thursday 29th of April 2021
Thanks John