• Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Work with Me
    • Media Kit
    • Evolv Health: Valerie’s Story
    • Personal Stories
    • Press
    • Year in Review
  • Thermomix® Independent Consultant
    • Thermomix® Independent Consultant
    • Client Testimonials
    • Recipes Developed by Valerie
  • Projects
    • Cheesepalooza
      • Cheesepalooza Challenges
      • Cheesepalooza Participants
      • Preparation for Cheesepalooza!
      • Basic Ingredient and Supply List
      • Ingredient and Matierial Suppliers
    • Dueling Daughters Project 2014
    • Eat Alberta
    • Gramsy Glimpses
      • Gramsy Glimpses Vignettes
    • Project 2019: Valerie’s Personal Evolv Health Story
    • Project 2017: Cooking in the Kitchen With….
      • Completed Project 2017 Posts: Cooking in the Kitchen With….
      • Project 2017: Cooking in the Kitchen With… PARTICIPATE
      • Project 2017: Cooking in the Kitchen with….Schedule
    • Slow Food Edmonton Tastings
      • Participate!
    • The Canadian Food Experience Project
      • Participate!
      • Participants
      • Challenges and Round Ups
      • Canadian Food Heroes Series
  • Events
    • Baby Shower
    • Food Blogger Meetings
    • Promotions
    • Restaurant Reviews
    • Reviews (Products, Books, and Events)
  • Philosophy
    • In a Nutshell
    • Local Produce/Producers
    • Slow Food
    • Teaching
  • Travel
    • Bosnia
    • British Columbia
    • California
    • Croatia
    • Culinary Tourism
    • Farmer’s Markets
    • France
    • Greece
    • Hawaii
    • Italy
    • Louisiana
    • Maritime Provinces
    • Massachusetts
    • Mexico
    • Montenegro
    • Nova Scotia
    • Prince Edward Island
    • Quebec
    • Serbia
    • United Kingdom
    • Utah
  • Trends
  • Store
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Policy for A Canadian Foodie
  • Valerie’s Image

A Canadian Foodie

Canadian Food Recipes; Preserving Canadian Food Practices

  • A La Carte
    • Appetizers
    • Drinks
    • Evolv Health Reboot Recipes
      • Reboot Phase 1 Mains
    • Garnishes
    • Salads
    • Sauces Dressings Rubs
    • Sides
    • Soups and Stocks
  • Breakfast & Brunch
  • Cheese
    • Blue/Stinky
    • Firm
    • Fresh
    • Hard/Pressed
    • Cheesepalooza Challenge
    • Cheesepalooza Round Up
  • Desserts
    • Cakes
    • Cookies, Bars and Squares
      • Christmas Cookies
    • Ice Cream, Sorbets and Frozen Yogurt
    • Icings/Frosting and Pastry Creams
    • Other
    • Pies and Tarts
    • Puddings
    • Sweets and Treats
  • Doughs and Crusts
    • Biscuits
    • Bread Buns and Flatbread
    • Crackers
    • Donuts, Frybreads and Such
    • Dumplings etc
    • Pasta
    • Pastry
  • Mains
    • Beef
    • Casseroles
    • Chicken/Duck/Goose/Turkey
    • Marinades and Rubs
    • Pasta Dishes
    • Pork
    • Potluck
    • Savory Pies Pastries
    • Seafood and Fish
    • Stews
    • Vegetarian
    • Veal
    • Wild Game
    • Wraps Pizzas Casual Food
  • Seasonal
    • Autumn
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Winter
    • Holiday
      • Christmas
  • Gardens
    • Foraging
    • My Garden and From My Garden
    • Preserves
    • Zone Three Harvest
  • Tastings
  • Kids
  • Canadian Food
    • Atlantic Provinces
    • Canadian Aboriginal Food
    • Canadian Berries
    • Canadian Cakes
    • Canadian Doughs
    • Canadian Drinks
    • Canadian Fish
    • Canadian Food Heroes
    • Canadian Food Main
    • Desserts
    • Grandma Maude’s Family Recipes
    • Mom Helen’s Famous Family Recipes
    • Canadian Products
    • Sunday Suppers
    • Wild Food

Fresh Water Chestnut Salad with Green Peas and Almonds

January 22, 2013 by Valerie Lugonja 8 Comments

A Great side for Chinese New Year February 10th this year!

This salad is like no other. Let’s start there.

While at Chinatown in Honolulu on our Hole in the Wall Tour, I spied gorgeous fresh Water Chestnuts! ‘Tis the season that they are in season which coincides with the delicacies of the Chinese New Year! If you have never tasted a fresh water chestnut, get thee to a market now and buy some. They are nothing like their canned cousins that share their lively crispy texture, but taste like the can, or worse. These little water globes of wonder are sweet, nutty and addictive.

Don’t even bother if you think making this salad with canned water chestnuts as it will be good. Nope.

It is also the season for Ming’s wonderful Wonton Soup, though I am not sure one needs a season for that. Winter is definitely soup season. I am making the wontons this year with the addition of a few fresh water chestnuts. Not that the recipe needs any improvement. I just happen to love the crunch and fresh nutty flavour that fresh water chestnuts add. I found a gorgeous vacuum packed bag of them for 3 dollars at the market. They are not local, but they are in the markets only once a year while in season, and I must.

Four simple ingredients: frozen baby green peas, green onion, almonds and fresh water chestnuts. This is a salad where the texture partners with the flavour as the leading role. The texture is so unusual; it is the first burst on the palate. Cr-un-ch! Juicy, crunchy and dense, but not heavy. And then the burst of the nuttiness. The juicy nuttiness. Your guests will be guessing what is in it. What? They will not figure it out. The fresh water chestnuts make all of the difference. I think I have said that, but cannot stress it enough.

And the nuts? Well, they can sing in several voices: the plain toasted almond is a moody tenor. That is the almond added to the salad I made. The tamarind almond would kick it up a notch, the alto, altering the mood to a curios pitch. A smoky salty roasted almond would be the raspy bass, full of intrigue and curiosity and a barbeque or spicy almond would present this salad at full pitch and the soprano would best describe the height of this enjoyment. You pick.

I love how the variance of one ingredient can completely change the landscape of this salad regarding the flavour. But the texture? It remains a complicated and novel juicy crunch. The peas must be frozen when making this salad, and at the very least, icy cold when served.

It is delicious, nutritious and economical.

I plan for it to be the perfect compliment to Ming’s Wonton Soup with a little crunch added to those this time round, too. I will be prepared for our own quiet little Chinese New Year’s celebration by placing this salad on a lettuce leaf to represent the fulfillment of wealth.

I don’t like to miss any kind of party, and when I get to make Chinese food or work with Asian ingredients, I am usually timid, yet always inspired!

Fresh Water Chestnut Salad with Green Peas and Almonds

Ingredients:
  • 16-ounces frozen petite peas
  • 6 ounces Smokehouse almonds, chopped
  • 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
  • 8 ounces fresh water chestnuts, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp yellow curry powder
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Combine the frozen peas, sliced green onions, chopped almonds, and finely chopped water chestnuts in a medium bowl
  2. Mix mayonnaise and curry powder in a separate bowl
  3. Gently fold the mayonnaise mixture into peas; season to taste

Note: Fresh Water Chestnuts are key in this salad; canned water chestnuts will completely change the flavour. Add the dressing and the almonds just before serving.

Tweet2
Pin11
Share7
20 Shares

Filed Under: Salads, Winter

About Valerie Lugonja

Like what you see? SUBSCRIBE TO A CANADIAN FOODIE
Educator, Writer, Gardener and Traveler who believes in buying and eating locally, and most importantly cooking at home! As a brand new Gramsy, so be prepared to hear a lot about this new role in her life!
Please connect with Valerie to buy a Thermomix Machine!

« Honolulu’s Famous Hole in the Wall Foodie Tour
Be Brave: The true story of Daniel Northcott »

You might also enjoy...

The Best Braciole for Sunday Supper
Shelley’s Fatoushe Salad: A Green Tossed Salad with a Twist
Herb and Mixed Spring Greens with Traditional Spring Prairie Salad Dressing
To-Die-For Boeuf Bourguignon
Canadian Butter Tarts
Canadian Butter Tarts: My Grandmother Maude’s Famous Heritage Recipe

Comments

  1. Sandra Dickie says

    January 23, 2013 at 9:32 am

    Sounds delicious. I have made a version with canned water chestnuts but can see how fresh would be so much better. Do you think T & T may stock the fresh water chestnuts?

    Reply
    • Valerie Lugonja says

      January 23, 2013 at 5:18 pm

      Hi, Sandra!
      Absolutely! You have had this salad? I thought it was top secret!
      😉
      V

      Reply
  2. Needful Things says

    January 24, 2013 at 12:32 am

    Looks delicious. And you have me thinking now .. where can I find fresh water chestnuts around here :-/
    I don’t suppose I could dare replace them with something else?

    Reply
    • Valerie Lugonja says

      January 24, 2013 at 11:19 am

      You will find them! Look in your local Asian Market!
      🙂
      Valerie

      Reply
  3. petit4chocolatier says

    January 25, 2013 at 6:01 pm

    Looks very delicious! Almonds, peas and water chestnuts.., triple yummy !!!

    Reply
  4. Devaki @ weavethousandflavors says

    January 27, 2013 at 9:18 am

    Gosh Val! What an incredible combination of testures – the crunchiness of the water chestnuts and almonds against the creaminess of the peas and dressing is so lovely. What a nice change from the usual.

    chow! Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

    Reply
  5. Lauren says

    January 31, 2013 at 3:00 pm

    i WANT to try this!

    Reply
  6. Natalie says

    January 31, 2013 at 7:10 pm

    Nice and creative salad! Always looking for ways to use water chestnuts!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search

Thermomix® Independent Consultant; Executive Team Lead Alberta

Weekly Newsletter

Saturday Morning News

Apple Roses

More Thermomix Recipes etc »

Alberta Beef: Know-Your-Farmer Garlic Stuffed Prime Rib Roast Beef

More ACF Famous Recipes or Specialties»

Tamworth Pork Belly with Homemade Applesauce

More Winter Recipes »

Helen McKinney’s Canadian Prairie Homemade Cinnamon Buns

More Recipes from my mom Helen »

Connect With Me!

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
projects

My Post Archives

Come On In And Kiss the Cook

Educator, Writer, Gardener and Traveler who believes in buying and eating locally, and most importantly cooking at home! [Read More …]

Connect With Me

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Traditional Canadian Pumpkin Pie from the Prairies

More Canadian Recipes »

Lifetime Achievement Award

Canadian Web Blog Award 2013 www.acanadianfoodie.com FIRST

Vote-for-me
Best in Food NEW
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No feed found.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed.

Copyright © 2023 · Website by PoundPig