Come along and be a part of Stela’s Food Stories!

Anchovy and pea salad

by Stela Kordić

Spring is getting closer and closer, and it deserves a warm welcome, am I right? Well, this anchovy and pea salad can be simply described as a cheerful hello to spring! It is fresh, filling, and so satisfying that you will want more and more.

This anchovy and pea salad has two components, a citrusy avocado pea spread as a base and a crisp salad made with raw Savoy cabbage, celery, rocket, red onion and marinated anchovies on top, fused with a simple honey lemon dressing.
It is a great main dish option since it is packed with protein, complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fat.

eating anchovy pea salad


Ingredients for the anchovy and pea salad

Pearl barley: Barley has this perfect chewiness that adds texture to this salad with anchovies. It cooks in 30 minutes, which is a little considering that you need time to prepare the rest of the ingredients for this salad. If you’ve made a bigger batch over the weekend, this is a great way to use it.

Instead of pearl barley, choose hulless or hulled barley as whole-grain options to get more vitamins and minerals stored in the outer layer. These will cook significantly longer, but they are worth the effort.

Of course, other grains and pseudo-grains like wild rice, quinoa, or even pasta varieties like Israeli couscous or orzo can be great substitutes.

Peas: Peas are the base of the spread going underneath the salad.
I like to use frozen peas when making spreads, purees or soups because their colour is much more stable throughout cooking and blending.

Avocado: Avocado is here to add a touch of creaminess to the pea spread. Choose a ripe avocado, slightly soft to the touch, for the creamiest result.

Anchovies: For this salad, you will need marinated anchovies. You can buy them as a ready-to-eat product or make your own from scratch. Marinating your anchovies leaves you much room for creativity, but the bought versions can also be a tasty option.

ingredients anchovy pea salad


Savoy cabbage: Savoy cabbage is a member of the Brassica family. By its looks and taste, it is closest to green cabbage, but compared to green cabbage, it has leaves that are milder and sweeter in taste and have a more ruffly texture. It can be eaten raw or cooked, but for this salad, we’ll keep it in its raw state. It will become more tender when combined with the honey lemon dressing.

You can substitute Savoy cabbage with curly kale or cavolo nero, a black-leafed Tuscan variety of kale. They will both provide similar textures and tastes and tenderise when in contact with the dressing.

Rocket: Rocket adds some bitter notes to this salad, which will balance perfectly with the sweetness of the dressing.

Celery: Even though celery is most often cooked, it is excellent when added raw to salads. It has a mild but fresh taste and is best when sliced very thin. It also gives a pleasant crunch and juiciness to the mix.
Celery leaves are also edible; you can add them to the salad too.

Red onion: Red onions are my favourite when eaten raw, which makes them the perfect salad addition. They have a mildly strong flavour, crunchy texture and vibrant colour that lifts every combo.

anchovy pea salad plated


Ingredients for the honey lemon dressing

Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard is made from spicy brown and black mustard seeds mixed with verjuice (verjus in French) instead of vinegar. As its name suggests, it originated in the city of Dijon, recognised as the world’s mustard capital. I love how its sharp and complex flavour gives character to this salad dressing.

If you don’t like the pungency of Dijon mustard, you can use yellow mustard instead with a slightly milder flavour.

Honey: I’m using wildflower honey with a nicely balanced, mild flavour to blend well with the rest of the ingredients.

Lemon juice: Lemon juice is the only acidic component of this salad dressing, which contrasts perfectly with the honey’s sweetness and mustard’s pungency.

Olive oil: The essential to almost all of my salad dressings is olive oil. It improves the texture of this honey lemon dressing and adds herbal, bitter notes to make it even more complex in flavour.

ingredients honey lemon dressing


How to cook pearl barley?

In my opinion, there are two essential things when it comes to cooking grains: the water-to-grain ratio and the speed of cooking.

The water-to-grain ratio will differ slightly for each grain, depending on how much water they can absorb during cooking. By using the adequate ratio, no water is left behind, ensuring better nutrient retention and a superior taste. Secondly, grains should be cooked on a low simmer; if vigorously boiling, they will turn out mushy and likely overcook.

When it comes to pearl barley, use a ratio of water to pearl barley of 3:1. Add rinsed barley to boiling water and cook, covered, on a low simmer for 30 minutes. When the barley is cooked, keep it covered, off heat, for another 5 minutes to cool down slightly. When five minutes have passed, transfer it to a bowl and fluff it up with a fork to prevent it from sticking.

cooked pear barley


How to make the avocado pea spread?

This avocado pea spread is made by blitzing cooked peas, avocado and lemon juice. Add peas to salted boiling water and cook on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until the pea skin is soft. While the peas are cooking, weigh out the avocado and lemon juice inside the blender cup, and when the peas are cooked and sieved, add them in.
The avocado pea spread should be thick, so no water addition is needed.

avocado pea spread blender cup


How to slice the veggies?

How to slice Savoy cabbage?

Separate a few Savoy cabbage leaves and wash them under running water. Because of their ruffled surface, they can keep many impurities inside. Lay each leaf flat on the board, and with two knife cuts, remove the midrib. Fold the leaves in half lengthwise, stack them one on top of the other and thinly slice them crosswise. The thinner you slice it, the better. It will give more volume to the salad, and the stripes will tenderise more quicker.

How to slice celery stalks?

Celery stalks have quite a particular shape that can seem more complicated to slice evenly. First, separate one celery stalk, wash it, weigh it out and cut off the piece you need. You will see how each celery stalk has a rugged, convex side and a slick concave side. The rugged side is quite fibery and unpleasant to eat, so peeling it off is better.

Once you’ve peeled it, cut it into blocks of the desired length. Lay each block flat on the concave side and start slicing it parallel to the natural lines. To finish it off, cut the slices in half lengthwise to get something looking like thin sticks.

anchovy pea salad closeup 1



Want more salad recipes?


Fennel, orange and freekeh salad

Light and fresh courgette salad

My favourite beetroot and goat cheese salad


Let me know if you try this recipe! Drop a comment and tag your photo with @stelasfoodstories on Instagram. I’d love to see your creations!

Dietary Labels

Anchovy and pea salad

Difficulty:

Welcome spring in style with this fresh but filling anchovy and pea salad drizzled with a honey lemon dressing!...

Prep time 15

Cook time 30

Total time 45

Two pots with lids

Sieve

Hand blender

Cutting board

Vegetable or Chef’s knife

Keep the screen ON

Servings:

2

Ingredients

For the avocado pea spread:

300 g frozen peas

60 g avocado

25 ml lemon juice

a pinch of salt

For the topping:

120 g marinated anchovies

50 g raw Savoy cabbage

40 g rocket

30 g celery

20 g red onion

For the honey lemon dressing:

7 g or 0.5 tbsp Dijon mustard

15 g or 0.75 tbsp honey

15 ml or 1 tbsp lemon juice

7 ml or 0.5 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Step 1

To cook barley, boil water in a pot using the ratio of water to the barley of 3:1. Rinse barley under running water, and when the water has come to a boil, toss it in. Cook it, covered, on a low simmer for 30 minutes.

Complete step

Step 2

In another pot, bring water to a boil to cook frozen peas. When the water is boiling, salt it and add in the peas. Cook peas for 8-10 minutes until their skin is soft.

Complete step

Step 3

Add all the ingredients to a jar to prepare the salad dressing. Close the lid and shake it until combined.

Complete step

Step 4

Measure the avocado and lemon juice into the hand blender cup. When the peas are cooked, transfer them to the blender cup and mix everything until smooth.

Transfer the avocado pea spread into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until serving.

Complete step

Step 5

Rinse Savoy cabbage leaves under running water. Cut around the midrib to take it out. Stack the halved leaves one on top of the other and thinly slice them crosswise.

Complete step

Step 6

Cut off one celery stalk and wash it. Peel its rugged side and lay flat on the opposite one. Cut it into same-sized blocks and thinly slice each block parallel to the lines. Cut these slices in half to get even, thin celery sticks.

Complete step

Step 7

To slice the onion, cut the top off. Then, place it flat on the board and slice it in half. Peel the skin of each halve and cut the root end off. Thinly slice each half by following the parallel lines.

Wash the rocket thoroughly to remove all the dust and dirt.

Complete step

Step 8

Drain marinated anchovies on kitchen paper to remove as much oil as possible. Cut them into smaller pieces.

Complete step

Step 9

When the barley is cooked, leave it for another 5 minutes to cool down slightly. Transfer it to a bowl and fluff it up with a fork.

Complete step

Step 10

Combine anchovies, Savoy cabbage, rocket, celery sticks, red onion slices and barley inside a bowl and dress them with honey lemon dressing.

Mix the salad well to ensure the dressing is evenly distributed.

Complete step

Step 11

The time has come to plate the salad. Lay the avocado pea spread on a plate, top it with the dressed salad, and enjoy!

Complete step

How to store this anchovy and pea salad?

This anchovy and pea salad will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, but if you want to keep it extra crisp, dress it shortly before serving it.
The avocado pea spread tends to discolour after staying in the fridge for longer, so I suggest you make it fresh for the best looks and taste.

I can’t wait for you to try this salad and tell me how you find it! I’m always here to hear your impressions and possible ideas to make this salad recipe even better!

Dietary Labels

Be the first one to find out about our newest recipes, latest stories and most recent interviews! Come along and be a part of Stela’s Food Stories!

You may also like

Be the first one to find out about our newest recipes, latest stories and most recent interviews! Come along and be a part of Stela’s Food Stories!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Be the first one to find out about our newest recipes, latest stories and most recent interviews! Come along and be a part of Stela’s Food Stories!

Cooking mode

The option on mobile devices where the screen stays on during food preparation, allowing continuous access to recipes, instructions without the need for unlocking the device again.

If you have any questions, suggestions or want to collaborate, reach out and let me know what’s on your mind.