Here’s a very spring-y salad that pleases both the eye and the palate. I enjoyed it several times while traveling through some of the heartland states some years (or truthfully, some decades) ago, while still a vegetarian rather than a vegan. Its constant ingredients were the peas, cheese, and celery, with additional, varying ingredients. This is my version, a composite of those that I sampled, and now completely vegan, as it’s easy to substitute vegan cheddar cheese for its dairy counterpart.

Serves: 4 to 6

• 2 cups fresh shelled green peas, steamed
  (or substitute frozen petit peas, thawed and steamed)
• 1 cup small mushrooms, sliced and steamed
• 1 cup grated vegan cheddar cheese
• 1 large celery stalk, finely diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
• 5 or 6 radishes, halved and sliced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Mixed baby greens, optional

Combine all the ingredients except the salt, pepper, and optional greens in a serving bowl and toss well. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss again.

Serve at once, mounding each serving over a bed of greens, if desired.

• Explore more of VegKitchen’s Super Savory Salads. ^[1]