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These sautéed pea tips are quick, garlicky, and one of my favorite things to order at a nice Chinese restaurant. The pea tips can be quite pricey at the restaurants, so this at recipe is great to recreate at home.
I have a friend who’s been bringing a huge platter of these sautéed pea tips to all our asian potlucks, and they are always SUCH A HIT! It’s quick to prep (even at triple scale), everyone loves them, and they go well with literally any asian dish – it’s genius!
The recipe below shows 2 different ways you can cook these pea tips – either a blanch, shock, and saute, or a direct saute. Both work, but I prefer the blanching method to reduce the amount of oil needed to keep this fragrant and delicious.
Table of Contents
Tips
- Pick through and discard the tough stems – aim to get shorter stems that have thick leaves. You’ll also want to try snapping a stem to see if it pulls apart easily. If you see any pea tendrils, you’ll want to discard these, as they are tough.
- There are 2 ways to cook pea tips:
- Blanch, Shock then Sauté, OR
- Sauté
- If sautéing only, think to cook to “al dente” – the pea tips are best when they still have bit of a bite to them. Take the greens out of the pan / wok as soon as the leaves are wilted. This is especially important if you’re making a large batch, as the residual heat will continue to cook the greens.
- If blanching, be sure to shock the greens in ice water or rinse in cold water to prevent overcooking. Blanch until the greens are just wilted, about 30 seconds.
- Wash thoroughly and pat dry– Pea tips often hold onto dirt. Give them a good rinse and pat dry.
- Add the garlic at the end – This keeps the garlic from burning and lets the flavor stay mellow and aromatic.
- Use high heat – To really bring out the wok flavor in the dish, use high heat and a cast iron pan, wok, or heavy bottomed dutch oven to sauté the greens.
Ingredient Notes – Sautéed Pea Tips
- Pea Tips – Also called dou miao in some Asian markets. Look for tender shoots with smaller leaves. Wash thoroughly—pea tips often come with dirt and sand. Trim off any extra tough or woody stems.
- Garlic – Sliced thin so it softens in the oil without burning. Add it at the end to keep the flavor bright.
- Neutral Oil – Use a high-heat oil like avocado, canola, or grapeseed. This lets you sauté without burning the garlic.
- Kosher Salt – Used for seasoning both the blanching water and the final dish. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- Chicken stock – Used to help emulsify the sauce. Since there’s a good amount of oil used in this recipe, the chicken stock loosens up to sauce and adds a bit more liquid to the overall dish.
FAQ
You can cook the pea tips either by blanching first, or sautéing directly. Sautéing directly without blanching will require you to use a bit more oil than blanching first, but it saves an extra step of blanching the greens and shocking in ice to prevent overcooking.
You’ll find them at Asian grocery stores, farmers markets, or some natural grocers in the spring and early summer. Look for bundles with tender leaves and no thick, woody stems.
Yes—Chinese broccoli works well with this same method. Blanch for about 1 minute since Chinese broccoli stems are quite thick.
What to pair with this dish
Recipe
Sautéed Pea Tips
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of neutral oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 1 lb pea tips
- Kosher salt
- .25 cup chicken broth, or veggie broth
Instructions
Blanch, Shock, then Sauté
- Bring a pot of water up to a boil.
- Prep the garlic and pea tips – thinly slice the garlic, and thoroughly wash the pea tips (they frequently have dirt). Pick through and remove any that have tough stems.
- Once the water is at a boil, season the water with salt. Add the pea tips and cook for 30 seconds. Remove and rinse under cold water until cool.
- Heat a cast iron or wok on high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil, then add the blanched pea tips. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add salt and the sliced garlic during the last 30 seconds. Give everything a stir, then add the chicken broth and cook for another 30 seconds. Taste, adjust seasoning, and plate.
Saute only
- Heat a heavy bottomed pan (cast iron, dutch oven, or wok) on high heat. Add 4 tablespoons of neutral oil, then add the pea tips. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes. Continue to stir. Add salt and the sliced garlic and give everything a mix. Then, add in the chicken broth and cook for another 30 seconds. Give everything a stir, then taste, adjust seasoning, and plate.
