Last Updated on September 18, 2020 by Simon Fan
What springs to mind when you think of spring vegetables? Perhaps artichokes, asparagus, peas, or ramps?
What about pea shoots? For me, they epitomize spring. Pea shoots are the immature tips of young pea plants, which include leaves, tendrils, and stems—all deliciously tender and crisp with a fresh pea flavor.
A traditional ingredient in Chinese and Asian cooking, pea shoots have increasingly shown up at farmers’ markets and gourmet grocery stores in the US. Cooks around the world have fallen in love with pea shoots and incorporated them into their creations. Pea shoot and artichoke salad with sherry vinaigrette? Bring it on. Spaghetti with pea shoots and pancetta? Sounds deliciously Italian!
Because of their very delicate texture and flavor, the best way to cook pea shoots is to treat them gently, with minimal or no cooking. In Chinese cooking, they’re usually stir-fried briefly until just wilted, or added to soups at the last minute.
Chinese cooks like to use minced garlic or fermented tofu to add a punch to their stir-fried pea shoots. Fermented tofu (furu 腐乳), also known as preserved tofu or Chinese cheese, is a cheese-like form of tofu that’s been preserved in brine with rice wine, salt, and spices. It’s used as a condiment or a seasoning in braises and stir-fry dishes.
In my recipe below, the pea shoots are flavored with both garlic and fermented tofu and steamed briefly atop shiitake mushroom caps.
Steamed pea shoots with shiitake mushrooms
Serves 2
Ingredients
3 oz (85 g) shiitake mushrooms, preferably medium-sized with open caps
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Half cube of red fermented tofu (see Note below)
1 teaspoon brine from the jar of the fermented tofu
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 oz (60 g) pea shoots, torn or cut into about 2-inch (5 cm) pieces
Directions
- Remove the stems of the mushrooms and reserve for another use (they’re great for soups and stocks). Wipe the mushroom caps clean with a damp cloth. Arrange them in a single layer in a steamer, gill side up. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Steam the mushrooms over high heat until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the steamer from the heat.
- In a bowl, use the back of a spoon to mash the fermented tofu, then mix it well with the brine, garlic, and oil. Toss the pea shoots with the fermented tofu mixture, and arrange them nicely on top of the mushroom caps.
- Steam over high heat until the pea shoots are just wilted, about 1 minute. Serve right away.
Note: Fermented tofu (furu 腐乳), also known as preserved tofu or Chinese cheese, is a cheese-like form of tofu that’s been preserved in brine with rice wine, salt, and spices. You can find both white and red varieties at Asian markets. The color of red fermented tofu is the result of red yeast rice being added during the fermentation process. The red variety also tends to have a more intense flavor. If you can’t find fermented tofu for this recipe, use soybean paste or soy sauce instead.
