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Pea shoots are not something I cook with every day. Pea shoots are not something anyone I know with cooks with every day.

What are Pea Shoots?

Pea shoots are in season in the spring, as they are the first part of the pea plant to sprout. The tendril-ey leaves are beautiful and delicious, tasting much like, you know, peas, but milder.

Sometimes they are tiny and as delicate as their name suggests, and these should be served uncooked, or just very quickly wilted. Other types of pea shoots can be much more mature, and in that case actually benefit from some time in a pan, so that they become more tender, and possibly a rough chop so they are easier to eat.

Stir Fried Chicken with Pea Shoots

Substitutions for Chicken and Pea Shoot Stir Fry

If pea shoots are not in sight, that doesn’t mean you need to skip this stir-fry. It means that you will want to substitute in broccoli florets, or 1-inch pieces of broccolini or sugar snap peas or snow peas. We are a stir-fry family and believe that missing an ingredient should never stand in between you and a good stir fry.

A simple less-than-30-minute stir fry featuring one of the nicest vegetables of Spring.

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Stir Fried Chicken with Pea Shoots / Photo by Cheyenne Cohen / Katie Workman / themom100.com

Less Sodium vs. Regular Soy Sauce

This is a very light sauce, and Gary always finishes seasoning his portion with a few hearty shakes of the soy sauce bottle. I used to stick my finger into the little bowl of salt on our counter when I was a kid and lick it. So, I’m not exactly in a position to comment on that. But that is why I keep less-sodium soy sauce, vs. the full sodium, in my pantry.

If you have regular soy sauce and you want to cut back on the sodium a bit, dilute it slightly—1 tablespoon water to every 3 tablespoons soy sauce. That’s basically what you’re getting when you buy less-sodium soy sauce, so it is actually smarter and cheaper to dilute it yourself.

Stir Fried Chicken with Pea Shoots

Other Stir Fry Recipes to get to know:

And you may also want to know: How to Cook Perfect Rice on the Stove

Stir Fried Chicken with Pea Shoots / Photo by Cheyenne Cohen / Katie Workman / themom100.com

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Stir Fried Chicken with Pea Shoots

5 from 1 vote
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 People
A simple less-than-30-minute stir fry featuring one of the nicest vegetables of Spring.

Ingredients 

  • ¼ cup less sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons mirin or dry sherry
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil divided
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 12 ounces pea shoots if long, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into thin slices
  • 1 cup chicken broth preferably less-sodium
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sherry, sugar, and cornstarch.
  • In a large skillet or a wok heat two tablespoons of the oil over high heat, add the ginger, garlic, and the chicken and sauté for about 3 minutes until the chicken is white in places and mostly cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the skillet to a serving bowl and set aside.
  • Heat the remaining oil in the skillet, add the pea shoots, and cook for 1 to 3 minutes until the pea shoots have wilted, depending on how thick they are. Add the chicken back to the skillet with any juices that have accumulated, and then add the soy sauce mixture.  Stir to coat the chicken and pea shoots with the mixture.  Add the chicken broth, bring to a simmer, and allow the sauce to thicken while the chicken finishes cooking. Stir in the lemon juice and serve hot.

Notes

What are Pea Shoots?

Pea shoots are in season in the spring, as they are the first part of the pea plant to sprout. The tendril-ey leaves are beautiful and delicious, tasting much like, you know, peas, but milder.
Sometimes they are tiny and as delicate as their name suggests, and these should be served uncooked, or just very quickly wilted. Other types of pea shoots can be much more mature, and in that case actually benefit from some time in a pan, so that they become more tender, and possibly a rough chop so they are easier to eat.

Nutrition

Calories: 215.28kcal, Carbohydrates: 4.13g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 10.27g, Saturated Fat: 6.4g, Cholesterol: 72.58mg, Sodium: 545.98mg, Potassium: 457.42mg, Fiber: 0.91g, Sugar: 1.79g, Vitamin A: 207.09IU, Vitamin C: 33.72mg, Calcium: 10.14mg, Iron: 0.64mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Comments

  1. The recipe is easy…however the photo shows a stringy -like vegetable…pea shoots do not look like that even cooked.Please explain.Thanks.

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