Every so often, a new ingredient gains popularity and you wonder why no one was cooking with it sooner. That’s how I feel about pea shoots. They have that fresh, just-picked flavor and pleasant cool crunch — similar to bean sprouts. When I saw a package of them in Trader Joe’s I couldn’t wait to try them out.
I wasn’t disappointed. As a longtime fan of sprouts of all kinds, these are pea shoots are just up my alley. I think they would be awesome in sandwiches too. But, my first experiment with them was to make Grilled Quesadillas with Pea Shoots.
Grilling quesadillas is easy to do. You start with a hot grill. It should be well-preheated (I made mine after grilling chicken, so it had been on and heated for awhile). Then you toss the tortillas on, cover them with cheese and other toppings and close with another tortilla.Then, they just cook on the grill in about 5 minutes or so (yes, you have to flip them once).
It’s super easy, and since there is no butter or oil on the tortillas, they are a little better for you than the traditional pan-made ones. Serve them as an appetizer or side dish with dinner.
One more really fun idea for this: A grilled quesadilla party. Invite a bunch of friends over and offer a variety of fillings and cheeses. Everyone can design their own and grill it up in a few minutes. It would be a great summer gathering, and you could totally celebrate summer’s freshest bounty by offering a bunch of farmers market veggies to stuff the quesadillas with.
Have you had pea shoots? Did you like them?
Grilled Quesadillas with Pea Shoots
Ingredients
- 4 flour tortillas medium sized
- Mexican cheese blend I bought mine at Trader Joe's
- Pea shoots
Instructions
- Preheat your grill on its medium setting or prepare charcoals for grilling.
- Once the grill is hot, lay out two of the tortillas on the grates and cover generously with cheese. Top with a layer of pea shoots (I like to use a lot) and the remaining tortillas.
- Close the grill lid and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until lightly browned and slightly puffed. The quesadillas will unpuff as they cool.
- Serve with your favorite salsa.
More delicious quesadilla recipes:
- Black Bean, Avocado and Red Pepper Quesadilla
- Bacon and Bell Pepper Breakfast Quesadilla
- Veggie Overload Quesadillas
Sarah Walker Caron is a cookbook author, freelance writer and founder of Sarah’s Cucina Bella. Her latest cookbook is The Super Easy 5-Ingredient Cookbook, published by Rockridge Press, which focuses on quick, easy, from-scratch cooking for busy people. A single mother to two kids in middle school, Sarah loves nightly family dinners, juicy tomatoes plucked fresh from the vine and lazy days on the beach. She also adores reading and traveling.
Kate
I’ve never tried pea shoots, looks like something I’d find more easily at the farmer’s market than the supermarket. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.
Rivki Locker (Ordinary Blogger)
I discovered pea shoots last month and the kids loved them… but we haven’t been able to find them since! Grilled quesadillas is a brilliant idea to beat the heat.
Jade Asian Greens
Hi pea shoot lovers!
Just saw your great idea to put them on quesadillas. I’d love to share that with our readers on our Facebook page, and link here so they can come and see your gorgeous photos!
I’m not sure where all of you live, but Jade Asian Greens are carried in the produce section at many Whole Foods or Bristol Farms markets (it is up to the produce manager). They are triple-washed and in a clamshell. Since we grow them in sunny Southern California, they are available all year around. Come join us on Twitter (@jadeasiangreens) or Facebook for more great recipes! We loooove pea shoots (which we call Dau Miu), baby bok choy, gai lan, and other delicious Asian greens!
–Dorothy at Jade Asian Greens
sarah
Thanks for the comment, Dorothy, and for the clue-in regarding where to find the pea shoots. Feel free to share on your FB wall. Have a great day!!
Sonia @ Master of Her Romaine
Pea shoots look so interesting…I’ve never had those!
I like the idea of doing the quesadilla on the grill though…using two tortillas scares me because of the flipping it part! Knowing me I’d manage to spill it all into the grill. Maybe I’ll just try folding the bottom tortilla in half?!
sarah
Sonia, I know it’s scary, but by the time you flip, the cheese is mostly melted — so it’s really just to crisp the other side of the quesadilla. The problem with folding is that the grill surface is so hot, it’s hard to keep your hands there for long enough to do it. But, if that works better for you, go for it!
Alli
I have been eying that package of pea shoots. I am so glad they are yummy. I love sprouts too.