Sugar snap peas stir fry

When my husband and I first got married, we lived close to P.F. Chang’s, a Chinese food restaurant chain.

At that time they had several veggie side dishes that ranged from $3 to $5.

They had a simple stir-fried spinach, spicy green beans, seasoned asparagus, cucumber salad, and a sugar snap peas stir fry with garlic.

We’d split one entrée and then get a whole bunch side dishes.

It would be a monstrous feast with so many plants. Yet our check would be something like $18.

It was maybe too good of a deal. They don’t offer most of those sides or prices anymore.

And it’s moot for me anyway, because these days my closest PF Chang’s is a couple hours away.

No worries, though. Because a sugar snap peas stir fry, loosely inspired by what I used to get at PF Chang’s, is super easy to make at home and every bit as inexpensive.

Plus, this side dish is ready in just 10 minutes.

Sugar snap peas are incredibly simple to use.

You don’t have to shell them. You can eat the whole pod.

I often enjoy them raw on their own, in salads, or as a dipper with hummus.

They have a wonderfully crisp texture that pops in the mouth and natural sweetness.

I buy the kind of sugar snap peas that are already prepped & stringless. Just give them a rinse, and they’re ready.

If you get sugar snap peas at the farmers market, or if you buy the kind that aren’t stringless, you may want to take the extra step of removing the stems and “string.” Just snap off the stem & pull back the string like a zipper pull.

(Here’s a YouTube video showing the simple process.)

You don’t have to cook sugar snap peas for long. They’re best when they still have some crunch, and are bright green in color.

(Overcooked sugar snap peas become kind of a dull green.)

Tamari: This Japanese soy sauce adds salt & umami. It’s usually gluten-free.

You can replace it with any other variety of soy sauce, coconut aminos, or Bragg’s liquid aminos.

Rice vinegar: This mild vinegar adds tang. It can be replaced with white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.

Toasted sesame oil: Just a little bit goes a long way with this nutty oil.

Maple syrup: Maple syrup adds sweetness. It also balances the salty/tangy flavors.

It can be replaced with the liquid sweetener of your choice, like agave syrup.

Oil: Any neutral flavored oil will work here to cook the garlic & sugar snap peas.

Garlic: Garlic adds bite & flavor.

Ginger: If you like the floral flavors of ginger, add the freshly grated variety.

I recommend using a Microplane zester for easy grating. (It’s especially easy to grate when the root is frozen.)

Sugar snap peas: For easiest preparation, buy bagged sugar snap peas that have already been prepped.

I get mine at Trader Joe’s. But they’re available at lots of grocery stores.

Salt: A pinch of salt brings it all together.

Sesame seeds: Finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds for garnish. White or black works here.

1. In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients:

• Tamari
• Rice vinegar
• Toasted sesame oil
• Maple syrup

2. Bring a large skillet to a medium heat with oil. Add minced garlic. If you like, you can also add freshly grated ginger. Sauté a couple minutes, until fragrant.

3. Add sugar snap peas and combine. Sauté a few minutes more to warm the sugar snap peas.

4. Add the sauce, making sure everything gets coated. Cook another minute or two. Add salt and more tamari to taste. (I usually like to add 2 or 3 more dashes of tamari.)

Finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

You can easily make this stir fry your own by tweaking the ingredients.

• Use agave syrup instead of maple syrup, or omit sweetener completely
• Add more or less garlic
• Add or omit the freshly grated ginger
• Increase the tamari, rice vinegar, or sesame oil
• Add sriracha or chili pepper flakes for heat

Serve this colorful side dish with any of the following recipes:

• Vegan fried rice with Brussels sprouts
• Kimchi fried rice
• Pineapple fried rice
• Spring roll tortilla wrap with peanut sauce
• Potsticker soup
• Bulgogi tofu bowls
• Cold peanut noodles
• Vegan bánh mì
• Dumplings & gyoza dipping sauce

Any leftovers will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for three or four days.

Reheat in a skillet with a little oil or in the microwave until warmed.

Refresh the seasonings with a dash of tamari, rice vinegar, and sesame oil, if necessary.

Remember, a little sesame oil goes a long way.

You can also enjoy the leftovers cold like a salad.

📖 Recipe

Sugar snap peas stir fry

Author: Cadry Nelson

5 from 6 votes

Stir fried sugar snap peas are an easy side dish, ready in 10 minutes. This recipe was inspired by an old favorite at PF Chang's, a Chinese food restaurant chain. It has a delicious garlicky flavor with a dash of sesame oil & sesame seeds.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Asian, Vegan

Keyword: easy vegetable dish, vegetable stir fry

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 teaspoon tamari plus more to taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon maple syrup or agave syrup
• ▢ ½ teaspoon avocado oil or your preferred oil
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic or more to taste, minced
• ▢ ½ teaspoon grated ginger Optional
• ▢ 10 ounces sugar snap peas
• ▢ Pinch of salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Instructions

• ▢
  In a small bowl, combine tamari, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and maple syrup. Set aside.
• ▢
  Bring a large skillet to a medium heat with avocado oil (or your preferred oil). Add minced garlic and optional grated ginger, if using. Saute a couple minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
• ▢
  Add sugar snap peas to the skillet. Use a spatula to fully incorporate it with the garlic. Saute for about 3 minutes more, until the sugar snap peas are fully warmed.
• ▢
  Add the tamari/rice vinegar mixture to the skillet. Fully combine it with the sugar snap peas, making sure everything gets coated. Cook another minute or two longer.
• ▢
  Taste and add salt & more tamari, to taste. (I usually like to add 2 or 3 more dashes of tamari.)
• ▢
  Finish the dish by sprinkling it with sesame seeds.

Notes

The sugar snap peas I buy are stringless and prepped. So you can just rinse them with water in a colander, and then they are ready to use. If the kind you buy have stems and/or strings, you may want to snap off the stems, and pull back to remove the strings.

Garlic cloves vary in sizes. So add more or less garlic, depending on the size of the cloves & your affinity for garlic.

If you’re a fan of ginger, grated ginger adds a nice bit of zing. However, ginger tends to stick out in a dish. So if you’d prefer to focus on the garlic, just leave out the ginger.

To grate ginger, peel a part of a ginger root using a vegetable peeler or spoon. Then grate with a Microplane zester or ginger grater.

To keep this dish gluten free, be sure to use gluten free tamari.

Leftovers will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.

Reheat in a skillet on the stove with a little bit of oil, or use the microwave. If necessary, refresh with more tamari, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. (Remember, a little sesame oil goes a long way.) The dish is also nice cold, like a salad.

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Nutrition

Calories: 44kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 87mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 771IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg