Green Pea and Olives Salad with Pesto
This green pea and olives salad with pesto is a warm, flavor-packed salad built on steamed frozen green peas, sweet corn, scallions, chopped pickles, fresh mint, green olives and a creamy dressing of vegan mayo and vegan pesto. It is seasoned with cumin, pepper, sea salt, olive oil and lemon juice, then served while the peas are still warm and tender. It is fully vegan and naturally gluten-free.
I’ve always been a huge fan of steamed green peas. I find them quite delicious even just as they are, with no salt or spices added at all. That subtle sweet taste and soft texture make peas one of my favorite veggies, so it was only a matter of time before they ended up in a salad like this one. I’ve been using green peas in salads a lot lately, especially since I made my warm green pea salad with avocado mayo and mint. I absolutely loved that one, so I started playing with different flavors, and the combination of pesto, pickles and olives is what I kept coming back to.
This green pea and olives salad with pesto is actually my second recipe for the #ManancResponsabil campaign organized by AlimenteSpeciale and TheSmartCuisine. I accepted the invitation right away, because the whole point of the campaign is to educate people about special dietary needs, from gluten intolerance to lactose-free and diabetic diets. A warm salad that is vegan, gluten-free and still full of flavor felt like exactly the right thing to bring to the table. Hope you’ll like it as much as I did.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A quick warm salad that comes together while the peas steam, with almost no cooking beyond that.
- Something vegan and gluten-free for guests with special dietary needs, without it tasting like a compromise.
- A pantry-and-freezer meal built on frozen peas and corn, so you can make it any time of year.
- A salad with real personality, where briny olives and pickles cut through the sweetness of the peas.
- A side or a light main that holds up next to grilled vegetables, bread or a bowl of soup.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is warm, not cold. Serving the peas while they are still warm keeps them tender and lets the pesto and mayo melt slightly into a creamy coating.
- The flavor balance is built in. Sweet peas and corn, briny olives and pickles, herbal mint and pesto, and a hit of lemon and cumin all play off each other in one bowl.
- It is genuinely fast. Steam the peas, defrost the corn, chop everything, mix, and you are done.
- It is naturally gluten-free and vegan. With vegan mayo and vegan pesto, nothing needs swapping for it to fit those diets.
- It uses freezer staples. Frozen green peas and sweet corn mean this works in the middle of winter, not only in spring.
- It is easy to scale. Mix a bigger bowl for a crowd, or keep the leftovers for lunch the next day.
Ingredient Notes
Green peas (frozen) are the heart of this salad, and frozen really is the smart choice here. Peas start converting their sugars to starch the moment they are picked, so frozen peas, which are blanched and frozen within hours of harvest, are often sweeter than the “fresh” ones that have spent days in transit. Steam them only until they turn bright green and just tender, then taste one; the moment they are soft but still have a little bite, they are ready. Overcooked peas go dull and mushy, which is the most common mistake with this salad.
Sweet corn (frozen) adds little pops of extra sweetness and a different texture against the soft peas. There is no need to fully cook it; defrosting it is enough, and you can simply throw it into the steamer with the peas for the last minute or two if you prefer it warm.
Scallions bring a gentle, fresh onion flavor without the harsh bite of raw white onion. Use both the white and the green parts, and slice them thinly so the flavor distributes evenly rather than landing in one big mouthful.
Pickles are what give this salad its tang and crunch. Chop them small so you get a little in every forkful. Look for crisp, firm pickles rather than soft ones, and if yours are very briny, taste before adding the full amount of sea salt so the salad does not turn out too salty.
Fresh mint is what lifts the whole bowl and keeps it tasting like spring. Use fresh, never dried, and chop it just before mixing so it does not bruise and darken. Mint and peas are a classic pairing for good reason; the cool, herbal note is the perfect partner for the peas’ sweetness.
Vegan pesto is the signature flavor here and does a lot of the heavy lifting, carrying basil, garlic and a savory depth into the dressing. A good jarred vegan pesto works perfectly, or use homemade if you have it. Stir it in last, off the heat, so its fresh aroma stays intact.
Vegan mayo ties everything together into a creamy dressing and softens the sharp edges of the pickles and olives. Combined with the pesto, just a couple of tablespoons is enough to coat everything without making the salad heavy.
Green olives add a salty, briny bite that balances the sweetness of the peas and corn. Slice or halve them so the flavor spreads through the salad instead of arriving in whole, intense bites.
Tips
- Steam, don’t boil. Steaming keeps the peas bright and sweet instead of leaching their flavor and color into the water. You know they are ready when they are vivid green and yield easily but still have a slight bite.
- Mix while warm, dress off the heat. Combine everything while the peas are still warm so the dressing melts in, but add the pesto and mayo away from direct heat so they stay creamy and fresh rather than splitting.
- Season last and taste as you go. Pickles, olives and some vegan pesto are already salty, so add the sea salt at the end and taste first; you may need less than you think.
- Cut everything to a similar size. Small, even pieces of pickle, scallion and olive mean every bite has a bit of each flavor instead of one dominating.
- Brighten with the lemon at the finish. Stir the lemon juice in right before serving so it tastes lively; added too early, that fresh acidity fades.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the mint for other herbs. If you are out of mint, fresh dill or parsley both work and give the salad a slightly different, equally fresh character.
- Change up the olives. Black or kalamata olives stand in nicely for green olives if that is what you have; the salad just becomes a touch deeper and saltier.
- Make it heartier. Fold in cooked chickpeas, white beans or a little cooked quinoa to turn this side into a more filling main.
- Adjust the creaminess. For a lighter dressing, use a little more pesto and less mayo; for a richer one, do the reverse. Both versions are good, so let your mood decide.
Storage and Make Ahead
This salad keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, which makes it a great option for prepped lunches. It is served warm fresh from the pan, but it is honestly just as enjoyable cold straight from the fridge the next day, once the flavors have had time to mingle. If you are making it ahead, you can steam the peas, defrost the corn and chop all the vegetables in advance, then stir in the pesto, mayo and lemon juice just before serving so everything tastes its freshest.
If you love this combination of peas, pesto and olives, you will probably enjoy a few of my other recipes too. Try my warm green pea salad with avocado mayo and mint for another take on a warm pea salad, my zucchini salad with mint and pickles if you like that briny, herby flavor profile, or my basil pesto hummus if you want to put that pesto jar to even more good use.
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Green Pea and Olives Salad
Ingredients
- 500 g green peas frozen
- ½ cup sweet corn frozen
- 1 bunch scallions chopped
- 5 pickles chopped
- 5 Tbsps mint fresh, chopped
- 2 Tbsps vegan mayo
- 3 Tbsps vegan pesto
- 6 green olives
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Steam the green peas, using either a steamer or on the stovetop.
- Defrost the frozen sweet corn. You can add it to the steamer as well.
- Chop and slice all the remaining ingredients.
- When the green peas are tender, transfer them to a bowl.
- Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this version is fully vegan. It uses vegan mayo and vegan pesto for the dressing, and every other ingredient (green peas, sweet corn, scallions, pickles, mint, green olives and the seasonings) is plant-based. There are no dairy, egg or honey ingredients in the recipe.
The salad itself is naturally gluten-free, as none of the core ingredients contain gluten. Just double-check the labels on your vegan mayo, vegan pesto and pickles, since some packaged versions can contain gluten-based additives. It was created for a gluten-free awareness campaign, so it is built to suit a gluten-free diet.
It is designed as a warm salad, served soon after steaming the peas so they stay tender and the dressing melts in slightly. That said, it is also delicious cold the next day, once the flavors have had time to mingle in the fridge. Both ways work well, so serve it however suits the meal.
Yes, fresh peas work if they are young and sweet, and they may need a slightly different steaming time. Frozen peas are a reliable choice, though, because they are frozen soon after picking and often stay sweeter than fresh peas that have been stored for a few days. Whichever you use, steam them only until just tender.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it keeps well for up to 3 days. The flavors actually develop and meld over time, so the leftovers make an excellent quick lunch. For the freshest result when making it ahead, prep the vegetables in advance and stir in the pesto, mayo and lemon juice just before serving.
It works as a light main on its own or as a side dish next to grilled vegetables, fresh bread or a bowl of soup. To make it more filling, you can fold in cooked chickpeas, white beans or quinoa. It also fits nicely into a spread of other small salads and dips for a casual meal.
Are the pickles sweet or sour?
I used sweet.
I never thought of combining green peas in a salad before, but your amazing pics convinced me. So, so good! I’m making it again tomorrow. Unfortunately I didn’t find marinated green olives with garlic inside anywhere 🙁 I’m sure they’re amazing
Glad you liked it! 😀
I am bookmarking this to make for a working lunch, its so vibrant, eating can only make you feel good.
Glad you like it! 😀