Sugar Snap, Spring Onion, and Chickpea Stir-Fry with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

From Simple Green Suppers by Susie Middleton © 2017 by Susie Middleton. Photographs ©2017 by Randi Baird. Reprinted in arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala
Publications, Inc. www.roostbooks.com

In early summer, when the sugar snaps are on the vine and the first “spring” onions (which look like fat scallions!) are ready to pull, I love to feature the two in
a quick stir-fry with chickpeas and a bit of spinach. When I’m in a hurry, I finish the dish simply with melted butter, lime, and honey—delicious. More often, for a fresher yet slightly more complex dish, I skip the butter and take just a few more minutes to make my Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce with Lime and Herbs. It offers a nice cooling contrast to the warm stir-fry, and with the hints of mint, coriander, and cumin working together, makes this a Middle Eastern supper to savor. (If you are not making the yogurt sauce, you will need the butter for rounding out the flavor and lending moistness to the sauté.)

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon honey (preferably local)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon low-sodium tamari
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil
• One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1½ cups sugar snap peas, trimmed and sliced in ½-inch-wide pieces on a diagonal
• ½ cup thickly sliced spring onions, scallions, or red onions (½-inch-thick slices)
• 1 cup packed baby spinach
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ cup Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce with Lime and Herbs (recipe follows) or 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped or torn fresh mint or cilantro leaves

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice, and tamari and set aside.
2. In a large (12-inch) nonstick stir-fry pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chickpeas and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden and spotted with brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chickpeas to a plate. Take the pan off the heat for a few seconds.
3. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the sugar snap peas, spring onions, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the peas and onions are lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
4. Return the chickpeas to the pan. Add the spinach, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted and the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Drizzle the lime-honey mixture over all, stir, and remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the herbs and the melted butter (if using). Transfer to serving plates and Garnish with a generous serving of the yogurt sauce (if using).

Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce with Lime and Herbs

This super-easy sauce is what I call a “spoon” sauce: you spoon it over grilled or stir-fried veggies. Nothing gets pureed here, so the cucumber dice lend some body, an
d the lime and honey bring a lively flavor. It tastes very fresh, so it’s a natural in spring and summer. I like pairing it with the stir-fry, but it is also great with grilled or roasted eggplant slices, stir-fried green beans, and Bibb lettuce and tomato salads, and serving it simply with grilled naan.

Makes 1 1/3 cups

Ingredients

• ½ cup plain, full-fat Greek yogurt, excess liquid drained off
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• ½ teaspoon packed freshly grated lime zest
• 2 teaspoons honey, or 1½ teaspoons agave
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint or cilantro, or a combination
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 cup finely diced peeled, seeded cucumber

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lime juice, lime zest, honey, mint and/or cilantro, and salt.
2. Stir in the cucumber until well incorporated.
3. If not using right away, store covered in the fridge for up to 1 day.