This Pea, Broad Bean and Asparagus Pesto Salad is full of fresh, summery flavours and a great way to make use of seasonal produce.
The nutty peas and broad beans are perfectly complimented by the more delicate asparagus and peppery rocket, whilst the pesto sauce acts as a rich, creamy and garlicky dressing.
Garnishing with fresh basil and drizzling with chilli oil adds extra flavour and a little kick!
I had some fresh and seasonal green peas and broad beans lying around and wanted to use them to make a nice side dish. I got the idea to use pesto sauce as a salad dressing after the success of my Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad.
This salad is vegan, gluten-free and incredibly healthy. It's the perfect side dish for summery meals and can be enjoyed hot or cold, so is really easy to make in advance too.
For more delicious vegetable side dishes, check out my:
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Helpful tools to make this Pea, Broad Bean and Asparagus Pesto Salad:
glass mixing bowl
food processor
blender
hand-held stick blender
Pea, Broad Bean and Asparagus Pesto Salad (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
- 100 g (â…” cup) fresh green peas (or sub frozen peas)
- 50 g (â…“ cup) fresh broad beans (or sub frozen broad beans)
- Bunch of asparagus, chopped into smaller pieces
For the pesto:
- Handful of basil
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- Salt + pepper, to taste
To serve:
- Handful of rocket (arugula)
- Optional: 1 teaspoon chilli oil, to taste
Instructions
- Place peas and broad beans in a saucepan with just enough water to cover. Bring to the boil and cook for 2-3 minutes until done (if using frozen ones, cook according to instructions on packet). Once cooked, drain them and place in a large bowl
- Once they are done, place the asparagus in the same saucepan with a small amount of water and keep the lid on. Once the water is boiling, turn down the heat and leave to steam for 5-10 minutes, depending on how thick the asparagus is. Once cooked, drain the asparagus and add to the bowl with the peas and broad beans
For the pesto:
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender (or hand-held blender) and whizz until smooth
- Pour pesto over the cooked veggies and mix well
- Enjoy hot or cold. Keeps well covered in the fridge for up to a few days
To serve:
- Top with rocket and drizzle with chilli oil
Notes
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.
Charlotte
Pesto is such a good idea! I grow my own peas so can't wait to try this later in the year!
Rhian Williams
Thank you!