This straightforward green pea salad is a time-honored classic that is relished year-round when served chilled. Bacon, cheddar cheese, red onions, and a sweet dressing are combined in a single dish and prepared in a mere fifteen minutes.
Having a deep affection for infant peas, this traditional pea salad touches upon numerous aspects of my being.
Recently, I've been obsessive-over traditional recipes, and this green pea salad is no exception.
It is also a common dish served at luncheons, potlucks, and baby showers throughout the Midwest and Southern states; it is nearly impossible to locate it absent from any gathering. And with good reason: it is incredibly simple and delectable!
Which Components Are Required To Prepare This Pea Salad Recipe?
The simplicity of this pea salad recipe is one of the reasons for its immense popularity, in addition to its exquisite flavor and texture. A smattering of ingredients are sufficient, and it can be prepared in minutes.
Unsurprisingly, the highlight of this salad are the peas. I always use frozen petite peas, which are sweet, colorful, and have a faint crunch. You can use canned peas if you want, but just bear in mind that they don’t appear as nice and because of their softer texture, they don’t hold up as well.
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Bacon – the conclusion. Lol. Just teasing. Salty bacon adds another dimension of awesome flavor and also balances out the sweetness of the peas and dressing. I cook mine in the oven and then dice or pulverize it. You can definitely use real bacon bits, though, to make this even easier!
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Cheese – my preference for this salad is sharp cheddar cheese, for the finest flavor. I also buy a block and cube it about the same size as the peas, but many pea salads use shredded cheese, which is completely fine, too!
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Onion – I always use red onion for this pea salad. I adore the taste and color.
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Dressing – this is really the other protagonist of the show. It’s a simple mixture of mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Like so many iconic salads, it has a sweet and tangy flavor that cannot be denied! Don’t freak out over the sugar – it’s a necessary ingredient to balance out the vinegar and it’s only a small quantity.
Substitutions & Variations
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Cold salads like this are so enjoyable to make because they are SO easy to adapt and play around with. You can get inventive with this salad and make it your own! Here are a few substitution + variation concepts I had:
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Make this cold pea salad dairy-free by substituting the mayo, sour cream and cheese with your preferred dairy alternative.
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Swap out the bacon for leftover ham for a fun twist (a wonderful way to use up leftovers, too).
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Instead of red onion, you can use chopped green scallions in this recipe. Green onion has a bit of a milder flavor, so this is ideal if you don’t want a super strong onion flavor in your salad.
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Omit meat completely to make it vegetarian.
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Try some entertaining add-ins like: hard boiled eggs, fresh herbs, chopped green bell pepper, a pinch of paprika or cayenne for some spice.
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You can use raw peas for this. Just steam them and chill them in the fridge, first. DO NOT use tinned peas for this recipe. They are too soft and your salad will become a mushy basin of goo.
How To Store Leftovers
Any remains should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I do not recommend preserving this salad, however. The vinaigrette will not hold up very well, and the peas and bacon will get too mushy once thawed.
I’ve served this pea salad so many times over the years to acquaintances, whose first reaction is “ew” – and then they ask for the recipe after one bite!
Read Also: Delicious and Easy Simple Guacamole Recipe
What You Will Need To Prepare Old Fashioned Pea Salad And Tips
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Frozen Peas, I favor frozen and thawed peas since they have a firmer texture
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Bacon – I use precooked bacon and brown it up in the microwave
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Boiled eggs – If you don’t want to blanch 2 eggs get pre boiled eggs
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Shredded cheese- I usually always recommend shredding your own but in this instance you can buy it already shredded
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Mayo- I always recommend using a high quality Mayo Mixing bowl kitchen knife
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This salad will remain in the fridge up to 3 days
Do you serve this Pea Salad cold?
Yep! This sweet pea salad is a recipe stored in the refrigerator and served cold.
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