Looking for a healthy spring appetizer? Then you will enjoy this Sweet Pea Crostini with Mint Gremolata. It is light, refreshing and yes – it’s vegan!
You’ll especially love this recipe when spring onions are in season. It’s perfect for the spring holidays. My family loves it as an Easter Sunday brunch appetizer!
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Ingredients
Prepping and measuring the ingredients beforehand makes processing and plating this appetizer super easy.
Mise-en-place ingredients beforehand:
- english peas
- spring onions
- roasted garlic
- vegan ricotta cheese
- vegan parmesan cheese
- lemons – lemon juice and zest
- toasted pines nuts
- sugar snap peas
- fresh herbs – chives, parsley, mint
- french baguette
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the mInt gremolata
Trim and thinly slice the spring onions, separating the white and green parts. Add 2 tablespoon olive oil to a pan and cook until lightly browned. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Spoon transfer to a paper towel to soak up excess oil.
Combine all gremolata ingredients in a small bowl. Set the topping aside.
Step 2: Prepare the pea spread
Blanch & shock peas: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and blanch the peas for 2-3 minutes. Lift peas from the pot and submerge in a bowl of ice water, stirring until completely cooled. Drain water and set aside.
Place all of the pea spread ingredients in the food processor and blend until desired texture. You can blend it until smooth and creamy or chunky if you prefer.
Step 3: Prepare toasted baguettes and add toppings
Hint: You can prepare the mixture a few hours before guests arrive but top the toast an hour or less before serving.
Substitutions
- Shallots – if spring onions aren’t available, shallots taste delicious
- Peas – defrosted frozen peas are a good substitution
- Bread – choose gluten-free bread or crackers
- Lettuce – place in endive or lettuce as an appetizer
- Vegetarian – use dairy-based ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese
Variations
- Herbs – not a mint lover, then vary the herbs used in the gremolata
- Beans – pea haters may prefer edamame
- Spicy – like a bit of kick, use cayenne
Equipment
You will need a food processor to get the creamy texture of the pea spread. If that’s unavailable, using a hand masher will give a chunkier texture and still taste delicious.
Storage
You can store the mixture for 2-3 days in a refrigerator. This mixture does not stand up well to freezing.
Seasonal Recipes
Besides more abundance of certain ingredients during the spring and summer seasons, read about why Eating Seasonal is Good For the Planet!
- Sweet Pea Crostini With Mint Gremolata
- Spring Asparagus & Pea Salad with Quinoa and Fresh Herbs
- Celery Root, Carrot & Broccoli Slaw with Avocado Dressing
- Air Fryer Simple Sunchoke Chips Recipe
- Roasted Sunchokes with Lemon & Thyme
Sweet Pea Crostini With Mint Gremolata
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Blanched
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Sweet pea crostini brings a refreshing taste of spring to your gathering as a delicious seasonal appetizer for spring celebrations!
Ingredients
Mint Gremolata:
- 1 ½ cups spring onions, sliced thin with white and green separated
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- pinch of sea salt
- 4 tbsp chives, chopped
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup mint, chopped
- 2 lemons, zested
- sea salt, to taste
Pea Spread
- 1 12 oz package of fresh English peas, or 1 ½ cups of shelled frozen peas (set aside a few for toppings)
- 2 cloves, of roasted garlic
- ½ cup vegan ricotta cheese, Kite Hill brand recommended
- ½ cup grated vegan parmesan cheese, Violife brand recommended
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp chives, chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
Toppings
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
- lemon zest
Baguette
- 1 baguette, sliced on a diagonal
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
Instructions
- Heat a medium-size pot of salted water.
- Prepare Gremolata: Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a pan. Add the white parts of the spring onions and cook until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Season with salt. Spoon transfer to a paper towel to soak up excess oil. Let cool. Add the cooked onion to a small bowl with other gremolata ingredients, including the uncooked green parts of the spring onion. Mix well and set the mint gremolata aside.
- Skip this step if using frozen peas. Prepare a large bowl with ice and water. Blanch the English peas in a pot of boiling water (use a strainer) for 2 -3 minutes. Shock peas by removing from heat and placing them in the cold water. This will stop them from cooking further and cool them off for the next step.
- Place the peas, and the rest of the pea spread ingredients in a food processor. Blend until creamy smooth, or somewhat chunky if you prefer.
- Toast the pine nuts on low heat in a small pan or oven.
- Toast the baguette slices until golden brown. Remove from the toaster and rub with a garlic clove for a little extra flavor.
- Top each toast in order with pea spread, gremolata, pine nuts, and extra parmesan if desired.
Notes
Extras: If you love peas, top each crostini with chopped sugar snap pea pods for some extra “raw” crisp!
Keywords: sweet pea crostini, pea mint crostini, crostini recipe, spring onions
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