Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas is a healthy, quick and delicious side dish to go with any main. Ready in 5 minutes!
Forever looking for simple side dishes to serve with heavy meals, like Chicken Francese, Smothered Pork Chops or a succulent, steakhouse steak? Look no further because this fresh and healthy side dish is the added green crunch you’ve been looking for.
Fresh, crunchy sugar snap peas sautéed to perfection in oil and butter… there’s nothing better!
When you start with a delicious, fresh green veggie like sugar snap peas, less is more in terms of components. That’s where this recipe comes in. Salty, buttery, a subtle kick of heat and ready in only five minutes!
HOW TO COOK SUGAR SNAP PEAS
All you need is a coarse salt. I recommend sea salt, Kosher salt or Himalayan salt for this, rather than table salt. The flavour and texture you get from high quality salt outshines the finer granules of table salt.
This sugar snap peas recipe is more of a base recipe in that it is super versatile. You can completely make it your own to suit your own flavour and textural preferences. Add some Sriracha sauce or seasoning, toasted pine nuts, crushed garlic, a sprinkle of parmesan, sliced almonds… the choices are endless!
SNOW PEAS VS. SUGAR SNAP PEAS
There are only subtle differences between the two, both being very similar in taste. Snow peas (also known as Chinese pea pods) are flatter with small, premature peas inside. Mildly flavoured, the entire pod is edible once the ends, along with the tough strings that run along the seam or edges, are removed.
Sugar snap peas are a cross between snow peas and garden peas. Smaller, crunchier and more rounded; snap peas tend to be a little bit sweeter. The entire pod is edible when prepared like snow peas.
PREPARE SUGAR SNAP PEAS
These peas can be eaten raw or cooked briefly. Think stir-fries or simple sautés such as this one. Even though stringless snap peas are available, the ones you normally find have stringy seams that need to be removed before cooking and eating.
MORE SIDE DISHES
Honey Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots
Buttery Sautéed Green Bean Recipe
Garlic Mushrooms
Creamy Broccoli & Bacon
Roasted Cauliflower
Buttery Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound sugar snap peas stem ends and string removed from each pod
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt plus extra to serve
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper optional for some heat
Instructions
- Heat oil and butter together in a large pan over medium-high heat. When butter has melted, add the snap peas, tossing them around in the pan to coat in the oil/butter mixture. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne (if using) and sauté for until the snap peas are crisp-tender, about 4-5 minutes
- Transfer to a serving bowl; season with extra coarse salt and pepper to serve.
Susan Finlay says
Yum! and couldn’t be more easy.
Liz says
Delicious and simple. I will definitely be cooking sugar snap peas like this again.
Anna says
So simple and great!!!
Joan H. says
Really enjoyed these! We used the cayenne and enjoyed the extra heat.