Spring is alive in all of her color and with it all of the seasonal fresh produce. Celebrate the fresh flavors of the season with Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas with Feta. This bright and verdant easy side is the perfect companion to any weeknight meal.

Whether you’re looking for something to serve next to your Sunday Honey Orange Roast Chicken or just an elegant yet effortless side to pair with a weekday dinner, this is it. With a few simple ingredients and a quick cooking time, these springtime superstars are sure to become a new go-to a delicious and healthy dish the entire family will love.

Why You’ll Love This

Fresh Flavors – The sweet sugar snap peas are completely the star of this dish, with just the right accents to highlight their natural flavor.
Minimal Ingredients – You don’t need a lot of ingredients for this sugar snap pea recipe. Besides the sugar snap peas you just need lemon, feta, and a couple of spices.
Easy Process – These sugar snap peas are quickly sautéed at high heat so they retain their natural snappy texture and their beautiful green color intensifies.
Versatility – This dish can be served warm, at room temperature, and is also delicious the next day.

Ingredients

When you start with a seasonal ingredient that’s at its freshest, you don’t need a lot of extra to allow it to shine. Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas with Feta only requires simple, fresh ingredients making these as easy to shop for as they are to make. Whether you hit up your local farmer’s market or stop by the grocery store, this recipe is both budget friendly and delectable.

Sugar Snap Peas – A cross between snow peas and English peas, sugar snap peas are naturally sweet enough to eat raw. Quickly sauteing them at high heat enhances their natural sweetness even more.
Olive Oil – Pick a flavorful olive oil as it adds a little richness to the sauteed snap peas.
Salt and Pepper – Accents all of the natural flavors of the ingredients without over powering them.
Lemon – Adds a bright, sunny note. The burst of lemon is also a great way to get kids to try a new vegetable such as these sugar snap peas. Both the zest and juice add different layers of citrus flavor.
Za’atar – This Middle Eastern spice blend contains herbs such as thyme, toasted sesame seeds, and citrusy sumac. It’s earthy, bright, herbaceous, and warm. Some blends may contain salt while others don’t so season your snap peas accordingly.
Feta – Creamy, salty, yet mild, this brined Greek cheese is made from sheep’s milk and sometimes a combination of sheep’s milk and goat’s milk. This adds both texture and flavor.

How to Make Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas with Feta

This bright and colorful side dish is a perfect way to highlight the flavor and texture of fresh sugar snap peas. Because it requires minimal prep and comes together in minutes, this is an ideal dish for anyone to make. The bright sunny flavors of the lemon juice and zest along with the sumac in the za’atar combined with the sweetness of the sugar snap peas will make this a dish the entire family will love.

Time needed: 20 minutes

Sweet sugar snap peas are quickly sauteed before being topped with bright lemon, aromatic za’atar, and creamy feta.

Mise en Place
Trim the ends off your sugar snap peas. Remove any of the strings if they seem a little fibrous.
Sauté
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add your olive oil. Allow the olive oil to heat through. Add the sugar snap peas and season with salt and pepper. Allow them to cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing occasionally, until they turn a brighter green color. They will slightly wrinkle but still have their crunch and verdant color.
Top it Off
Transfer the sugar snap peas to a serving bowl. Add the lemon juice and zest and toss to combine. Sprinkle the za’atar over the top followed by the feta. These can be served immediately or at room temperature.

Substitutions

Because sugar snap peas are truly a springtime vegetable to be embraced and celebrated, you might be craving this recipe when they’re not in season. The texture and overall dish will be different, but you can substitute snow peas for a similar flavor profile.

No feta? No problem! Crumbled goat cheese would be a great creamy and tangy substitute.

Storage

These sautéed sugar snap peas are just as delicious the next day straight from the fridge as they are the day that you make them. Transfer your leftovers to an airtight container and they will keep refrigerated for up to five days. You can either allow them to sit out and come to room temperature before serving them, gently reheat them on low on the stove, or microwave them.

Top Tip for Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas with Feta

Because sugar snap peas are only readily available in the spring, take advantage and stock up! They can easily be blanched and then flash frozen. Once frozen and transferred to freezer safe bags they will last for up to six months.

Trim – Trim off the stem ends of your snap peas and clean them.
Blanch – Bring a pot of water to a boil. You can either salt the water or not, depending upon the flavor profile you want. Add the snap peas into the boiling water and allow them to boil for just one and a half minutes.
Shock – Remove the sugar snap peas from the boiling water. Immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water to lock in their color and stop the cooking. Let them cool completely and then drain well.
Flash Freeze – Place the dried, blanched sugar snap peas in an even layer on a baking sheet. Depending on how many you made you may need a couple. Allow them to freeze on the baking sheets for 1-2 hours. You want them completely frozen.
Freeze – Once frozen divide the sugar snap peas into freezer safe bags, making sure there is no air in them. They will last for up to six months in the freezer. Use them as you would any frozen vegetable. These are especially great in stir-frys.