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pea shoot salad with manchego, pine nuts, beets, and red onion in a white bowl
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5 from 7 votes

Pea Shoot Salad with Pine Nuts and Manchego

Back in 2015, I put together a little Sunday lunch from the farmers' market with friends. A classic butternut squash and apple soup along with this salad of pea shoots, roasted beets, pine nuts, and manchego. We've made both recipes many times since and hope you'll love them too.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Salads + Bowls
Cuisine: American
Calories: 244kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 4 big unruly handfuls pea shoots
  • 2 small cooked beets peeled and diced
  • ⅛ small red onion very thinly sliced
  • 1 ½ ounces (45 grams) Manchego cheese
  • ½ cup (60 grams) pine nuts

For the dressing

  • 2 teaspoons grainy mustard
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Place pine nuts into a small, dry pan and set over medium heat. Toast, tossing or stirring frequently, until light brown in spots and very fragrant. See note 6 below if you'd like to roast your own beets, and note 7 for an alternative method of toasting the pine nuts in the oven.
  • Place pea shoots into a wide salad bowl.
  • Arrange roasted beets, thinly sliced red onion, and toasted pine nuts overtop. (See below to learn how to roast beets and toast pine nuts.)
  • Use a vegetable peeler to shave some manchego onto the salad.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients and drizzle over the salad. Toss lightly if you like — I usually don't. Serve right away.

Notes

  1. Pea shoots are the beautiful tendrils that grow from pea plants. As your peas grow, the shoots are ready to harvest in a couple of weeks. You can also grow them on their own as microgreens. They have a delicate texture, and they taste just like peas.
  2. Pea shoots are really something special, and they're worth seeking out. But if you can't find them, this salad would be great with baby spinach or — to take it in a different direction with a stronger flavor but similar texture — watercress.
  3. Manchego is a Spanish sheep's milk cheese aged anywhere from two months to two years. I've used a younger one here, but you can use whatever type you like. It brings a mild salinity, tanginess, and creaminess to this salad.
  4. I've included a small amount of diced roasted beets to bulk up the salad and add a hint of earthiness. You can omit them if you prefer. See below for roasting instructions, or buy them roasted and vacuum-sealed from good grocery stores.
  5. Grainy mustard contains whole mustard seeds and packs a mild punch. The little bit used in the dressing adds a nice character to the whole salad.
  6. My favorite way to roast beets couldn't be simpler. Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center. Trim any greens and long stems off beets and wash well but don't dry. Wrap beets in foil. You can wrap small beets together. Place in a roasting pan and roast until a fork pierces them easily, without much resistance. Let cool and then peel. Sometimes they're very easy to peel with your hands, other times a vegetable peeler works best.
  7. If you'll already have the oven on to roast the beets for this recipe, you could toast the pine nuts by spreading them out on a rimmed sheet pan and popping them into the oven for a few minutes, watching carefully, until lightly browned.
  8. Pea shoots are very delicate, so don't assemble the salad in advance. You can certainly roast the beets, toast the pine nuts, and make the dressing ahead of time. After that, the salad comes together in just a few minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.3g | Protein: 6.2g | Fat: 19.9g | Fiber: 4.4g