Growing Pea Shoots Indoors

Mr. Halcyon and I recently traveled to Bend, OR to enjoy some winter activities at Mt. Bachelor. While there, we had some of the best food at a restaurant called Miyagi Ramen. It was so good we went back the next evening. They had a rich and unctuous vegan ramen broth with perfectly chewy noodles, mushrooms, tofu, and a cluster of bright, beautiful, and tasty little pea shoots. Look at how delicious that bowl is! I miss it already.

I’ve grown pea shoots before, but it’s been a long time, and after enjoying them so thoroughly I decided to get back to growing them at home. Plus, it’s winter and I am missing being busy in the garden! So, this project scratched that itch and allowed me to do some planting indoors.

Not only are they fun to grow, pea shoots offer impressive nutritional benefits. They’re high in dietary fiber and vitamins A, C, E, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as beta-carotene and lutein. Pretty great considering how delicious they taste!

You’ll need a few things to get started growing, but overall the process is simple and fun!

Here’s what you need to grow your own pea shoots:

1. Pea seeds (I like these ones)
2. Jar to soak the seeds
3. Container for planting
4. Soil (I use a sterile seed starting mix)
5. Newspaper or paper towels
6. Dark cupboard or cabinet

Ready for some indoor farming? Let’s get started!

Step 1: Soak the pea seeds overnight.

I measured 4 tablespoons of speckled pea seeds and covered them with water. I let them sit overnight on the kitchen counter. Note: Sometimes pea shoots grow some mold when they’re germinating in the dark cabinet. I like to ideally prevent that by soaking my seeds in water with about 2 tablespoons of food grade 3% hydrogen peroxide added. You don’t have to do this, just keep an eye on your peas while they’re growing and if you see mold, spray the seeds with the hydrogen peroxide then.

Step 2: Get your planting container ready!

The next day, I drained off the water and grabbed a container to plant the seeds. I used one I made out of clay at our local pottery studio, but it can be anything you have in the kitchen. A cereal bowl, a takeout container, Tupperware- whatever. It doesn’t even need drainage holes, and it doesn’t have to be too large. At least 2 inches deep is fine. You’re growing these pea shoots quickly so they don’t need a ton of room for their roots.

Step 3: Fill the container with soil.

Once you have your container, fill it with some moistened seed starting mix or potting soil.

Step 4: Fold and soak a piece of newspaper.

Fold a piece of newspaper or paper towel so that it roughly fits the top of your container. Next, you’re going to soak it so it’s good and wet and use it to cover the peas. I soaked it for about 5 minutes. Placing the wet newspaper cover simulates the seeds being planted in soil and encourages them to germinate, plus by having the newspaper dampened, it will prevent the pea seeds from drying out.

Step 5: “Plant” your pea seeds.

You’re not burying the seeds under dirt. Spread out your soaked pea seeds in an even layer on top of the soil. I like to lightly press them into the soil to ensure they have contact with it.

Step 6: Cover the pea seeds with the dampened newspaper and place in a dark cupboard/cabinet/closet.

Now they’re ready to spend a few days in the dark. I placed my container of peas in a cupboard in the laundry room. You want them in the dark at this stage so they germinate and grow long and tall. Normally when you’re starting seeds, you don’t want the plants to become too leggy in search of sunlight, but when you’re growing shoots or microgreens, you want them to get long and tall.

I peeked at the seeds on their third day in the dark cupboard. Little tails had emerged. The newspaper is still damp, and the seeds looked happy. After snapping this photo, I replaced the newspaper and sent them back to the dark cupboard for a few more days.

Step 7: Remove from the dark and set on a bright windowsill to green up!

This is what the pea shoots looked like after 6 days in the dark cupboard. They grew nice and tall and leggy, which is exactly what you want to happen when growing pea shoots! At this stage, it’s time to place them on a sunny windowsill to green up and keep growing.

Step 8: Harvest!

Four days later, the pea shoots have leafed out, greened up, and doubled in size. They’re ready to harvest!

These pea shoots taste crisp, nutty, and sweet. We love to add them to salads and on top of sandwiches. You can add them to stir-fry in the last few minutes of cooking, too. They add a bit of delicious color to whatever you’re having.

Give this fun indoor gardening project a try, let me know how it goes in the comments below!