Artichoke Salad with Pea Pods & Mushrooms

This artichoke salad with pea pods, mushrooms and toasted almonds in a creamy dill dressing is easy and tasty.  Move over lettuce salad!

I love salad in pretty much any way, shape, or form.  In fact we try to do a “salad-a-day” just like the proverbial apple!  Yes, give me a Spicy Italian Salad or Poached Pear Salad with Goat Cheese and I’m happy as a clam.

But once in awhile, even favorites get old–and sometimes I don’t want even one more lettuce leaf to cross my path.   Which is why I’m excited to announce that vegetable salads can be just as amazing.  Like this Artichoke Salad from my youth! 

Even better, it’s perfect for spring.  That’s because it’s loaded with pea pods, one of the first local vegetables to appear.  And with jarred artichokes, a creamy dill dressing and a little crunch from sliced almonds, it just might be the new salad you’ve been looking for.

After all, brunch season is coming!

Where is this Artichoke Salad from?

This Artichoke Salad with Pea Pods & Mushrooms is based on a recipe from one of Milwaukee’s old fine dining establishments, the Grenadier Restaurant. 

I still remember the first time I went there, decades ago.  Elegant and sophisticatad, they required that all men wear a tie and suit coat–and had a stash available for anyone delinquent. 

A friend of my father’s was singing in a production of Carmina Burana and had arranged for some friends to attend the show and dinner.  My mother had a conflict, so teenage me got to go in her place.  I felt sooo special—even before I tasted the amazing food.

Following many happy returns, this recipe became a welcome addition to the family brunch and dinner repertoire!

Why You’ll Love This!

Tasty.  With a light creamy dill dressing and savory artichokes, complimented by crunchy pea pods and sliced almonds, this salad is a taste delight!

Unique.  Variety is the spice of life.  And if you’re bringing this to an event, I can almost guarantee it won’t be a duplicate!

Practical.  While practicality and fine dining are not always synonymous, they are in this salad.  First, it’s very easy to make.  And second, unlike lettuce salads, it will keep for a couple days even after it’s dressed. 

Step by Step Directions

Combine the dressing ingredients and whisk or shake to blend. 

Rinse and drain the artichoke hearts.  Remove any tough outer leaves and cut into quarters as needed.

Blanch the snow peas, then remove the stings (see Tips and FAQs below if you’ve never done this) and slice the mushrooms.

Combine the artichoke hearts, pea pods and mushrooms, then toss with some of the dressing (I usually use about 1/3 to ½ of the dressing and save the rest).  Sprinkle with the sliced almonds. 

How to Serve

This is a lovely side salad, that works with any elegant or a casual entrée.  Just spoon and serve!

And if we are short on our five-a-day servings of fruits and vegetables, I’ll sometimes serve this on top of lettuce to up our count.  The dressing recipe makes an abundant amount, so there is plenty to use for lettuce as well. 

Serving over lettuce is also a great way to stretch the leftovers or add variety at a later meal.

Variations and Special Diets

For a vegan or non-dairy salad, go with a plant-based light cream.

And if I’ve got you in the mood for vegetable salads, don’t stop here!  Check out my Broccoli Bacon Salad or my Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad.

Leftovers

Unlike a dressed lettuce salad, there is no wilting with an artichoke salad!  So you can refrigerate it and enjoy leftovers up to a couple days after serving it.  And if you need to stretch your leftovers put them atop some lettuce like I suggest above. 

This makes a lot of dressing and I have always debated about cutting the dressing recipe in half.  But the leftover dressing is delicious on a lettuce salad later.  And if I serve this salad atop lettuce I go through extra dressing for that. 

Tips & FAQs

I did a couple things slightly different from the original recipe, including reducing the amount of raw mushrooms.  Mushrooms contain a potential toxin that is reduced by cooking–and sometimes the advisability of raw consumption is debated.  I’m not too worried but in the end I thought it tasted better with fewer mushrooms too.

I use rinsed marinated artichoke hearts but have used plain canned artichokes as well.  In either case, I find that sometimes the outer “leaves” can be tough.  So I nibble a few of the outside pieces to check and remove as needed.

Are you a snow pea newbie?  If so, be aware that some of the pods may have a fibrous “string” that won’t add to your dining pleasure.  The string may extend down one or sometimes both seams of the pod, though it may not have developed in younger, more tender pea pods.  I make a small tear at the stem end then pull to see if there is a string or two to remove. 

I avoid the pre-sliced mushrooms in the store for this recipe.  You’re going to want your mushrooms to be pretty and I think I do a better job myself.

All the Almond Recipes

• Almond Buttercrunch from Creative Cynchronicity
• Almond Sugar Cookies from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Artichoke Salad from Art of Natural Living
• Brie, Apple & Almond Phyllo Cups from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Chinese Almond Cookies from That Recipe
• Green Almond Avakkai from Magical Ingredients
• Honey Almond Granola from Jen Around the World

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you’re at it, join our Pinterest board, too!

Artichoke Salad with Pea Pods & Mushrooms

Artichoke salad with pea pods, mushrooms and toasted almonds in a creamy dill dressing is a great alternative to lettuce salad. Or serve on lettuce!

Author: Inger

5 from 1 vote

Print

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Salad

Servings 4

Calories 208 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Salad:

• 14 ounce can artichoke hearts cut in half or quartered if large
• 1/2 cup mushrooms sliced
• 1 cup pea pods
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds toasted

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup half & half or vegan substitute
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dill
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

 

• Combine the dressing ingredients and whisk or shake to blend.
• Rinse and drain the artichoke hearts.  Remove any tough outer leaves and cut into quarters if needed.
• Blanch the snow peas in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, then immediately plunge into cold water. Drain and remove the stings (see Tips and FAQs above if you’ve never done this before). Slice the mushrooms.
• Combine the artichoke hearts, pea pods and mushrooms, then toss with some of the dressing (I usually use about 1/3 to ½ of the dressing and save the rest).  Sprinkle with the sliced almonds.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Notes

The actual calorie count is probably lower since there is likely to be leftover dressing (and run off).

Nutrition

Calories: 208kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 692mgPotassium: 223mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 377IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 1mg

I am not a health professional and nutrition data is calculated programatically. Accuracy may vary with product selection, calculator accuracy, etc. Consult a professional for the best information.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Updated from the original, first published on March 1, 2014.

• ← Easy Shrimp Bisque
• Easy Black Bean Soup →