Sugar Snap Peas Recipe: How to Make Stir-Fried Snap Peas

Sugar snap peas, also known simply as snap peas, are a type of edible legume that is part of the Fabaceae family of flowering plants. These edible green pods grow on tall, leafy tendrils that can reach up to eight feet tall. Once you remove the fibrous strings running along the length of the pea pod, you can eat the entire pod.

Sugar snap peas vary in size, shape, and flavor from snow peas, which have a flatter shape and thinner walls, and garden peas, which have a tough, unpalatable pod and sweeter flavor. Sugar snap peas tend to be smaller, with thicker pods and a slightly rounded shape.

Once they are fully mature, snap peas take on a crunchy texture and vegetal, semi-sweet flavor that lends itself well to sautéed, steamed, roasted, or stir-fried dishes. You can also eat them raw straight from the garden. However, if you want to cook your sugar snap peas, you can follow these tips to make a flavorful, perfectly crunchy dish for any number of easy recipes.

1. 1. Make sure to de-string your pods. Make sure to remove the fibrous strand where the pod is sealed together before you eat your sugar snap peas. Leaving the string in the pod may yield a dish with an unpleasantly chewy texture.
2. 2. Play around with flavors. This super-simple sugar snap pea recipe can be adjusted to suit your flavor preferences and access to ingredients. Play around with the addition of seasonings, sauces, cheeses, crushed nuts, and more, from Asian-inspired additions like Sriracha, soy sauce, ginger, and crushed peanuts, to classic ingredients like grated Parmesan, garlic powder, lemon juice, and butter.
3. 3. Don’t overcook the peas. Make sure to only cook your sugar snap peas until they are just slightly tender. While an overcooked pea will still taste great, the texture won’t be as satisfying.