A delicious bowl of PEA SALAD deserves its place on your lunch or dinner table. It’s savory and tangy with a kick of heat from Homemade Creole Seasoning—a simple salad that will surely entertain your palate! This dish is an excellent side on regular weekdays or even the holidays.
This Pea Salad recipe always reminds me of the holidays with its beautiful colors and exquisite tastiness. It makes a great staple beside buttered corn and mashed potatoes. And this deliciousness disappears just as quickly as the crowd-favorite mashed potatoes. You’ll know why as you read along.
What’s in a Pea Salad?
The game-changer is the mayo-based dressing that kicks it up the flavor scale. You can easily make this recipe by mixing in chopped onions, bacon, cheddar, and, of course, peas. You can play with spices and herbs to personalize your dressing to make the dish totally your creation.
What’s unique about this side dish is its creamy and fresh texture with the tasty bits of bacon and a kick of heat from my homemade Creole Seasoning.
Pea Salad Recipe Ingredients
Our Pea Salad here stays true to the original recipe with just a few tweaks. However, you can always customize it according to your palate. Here is a list of ingredients that you’ll need to enjoy this hearty side dish.
- Bacon – The ever-perfect addition to any dish. Agreed? I love it most when it’s crispy like my Oven Baked Bacon here. You can also swap bacon with leftover ham. Aah! So yummy!
- Frozen Peas – Green peas are naturally sweet with a slight crunch, making them the star of this salad. And yes, you can use canned peas for this recipe if there’s no other way. However, they are a little mushy because of the canning process. So they don’t hold up as well as fresh or frozen peas.
- Cheddar Cheese – And, of course, shredded cheese makes it even more delicious. The perfect balance of creamy and salty is spot on. Sharp cheddar is an ideal choice if you ask me.
- Red Onion – I prefer red onion because it’s more fragrant and colorful. You’ll love the pungent taste and subtle sweetness it adds to our Pea Salad.
Dressing
- Mayonnaise and Sour Cream – Their sweet and tangy flavor combination completes our luscious pea salad dressing. Here are some mayonnaise substitutes and sour cream substitutes that you can use. Or you can just make this Homemade Mayonnaise here.
- Creole Seasoning and Salt – So, instead of just using salt to add flavor to our pea salad, I also added Creole Seasoning to level up our recipe. It has the perfect balance of savory flavors and heat brought about by a blend of spices.
- Ground Pepper – I highly suggest using freshly ground pepper because it’s more flavorful than pre-ground pepper. It adds a kick of heat but is not too spicy.
Recipe Variations
- Southern Pea Salad – With a few simple ingredients like basil, apple cider vinegar, your choice of smoky ham, and spices, just mix ‘em all together, and you’re good to go!
- Mediterranean Pea Salad – Or maybe we should call this the Healthier Pea Salad. Replace part of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt and ricotta cheese, then season it with herbs. Oh, and don’t forget the olive oil! The result will give you a creamy texture with a Mediterranean flair.
- Sweet Corn Salad – Corn is just like peas in that it’s just as good frozen or fresh, and you can use it straight out of the freezer. Your pea salad will still have the original taste with the added sweetness from the corn. That sweetness will complement the natural, earthy flavor of the peas.
- English Pea Salad – Turn it into an English Pea Salad by simply adding hard-boiled egg slices. Oh yes!
- Nutty Additions – Try it with almonds, pecans, cashews, and walnuts, and you’ll surely love the added crunch and nutty flavors.
- Vegan Version – Skip the bacon, mayo, and sour cream, and swap them with vegan-approved ingredients such as coconut cream, soy-based sour cream, and vegan cheese, and you’re set to enjoy this vegan treat. Yaaay!
Tips and Tricks
- I suggest using frozen green peas because they have a nicer crunch than canned ones. Also, they were already blanched before they were frozen. So, it saves you a lot of time since you can add them straight into the salad; no extra work is needed.
- To enjoy a vegetarian version, just skip the bacon and swap it with your favorite nuts. You can also enjoy it vegan by using vegan cheese and soy-based sour cream instead of cheddar cheese and regular sour cream.
- Instead of shredded cheese, you can cube the cheese into small squares. That makes it fun.
- You can store leftover pea salad in the fridge for up to three days. However, I don’t recommend freezing salad because it changes the texture a bit too much.
Serving and Storage Instructions
I personally recommend eating this salad at room temperature or slightly chilled. It’s the perfect side to any weeknight or holiday dinner. Leftovers are not really an issue in my house because we always finish this dish quickly. But in the case of leftovers:
- Store – Cover the bowl with cling wrap or store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Not Room Temperature – Remember not to leave your Pea Salad out for longer than 1-2 hours because the mayo can spoil quickly, especially in hot weather.
- Refrigerate – You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days.
- Freeze – I really don’t recommend freezing this dish because the dressing doesn’t freeze well.
Make Ahead Tip:
Don’t thaw out the peas or add the cheese if you’re planning on making this dish the day before. Some of the ingredients will get soggy. However, you can make the dressing ahead and keep it safely in the fridge. Then, when you’re ready to serve it, throw all of the ingredients together, mix, and serve.
FAQs
No, you don’t need to cook the frozen peas. Vegetables become a soggy mess if they’re not blanched first. So, that means that all frozen vegetables are already cooked. Blanching them not only preserves their freshness and nutrients but also helps them keep their vibrant color.
The best way to thaw frozen peas for pea salad is to take them out of the bag and place them in a sieve. You can run cold water over the peas until they’re thawed. The cold water defrosts the peas without cooking them more.
Yes, it is safe to eat raw peas. However, eating them in large amounts may cause digestive discomfort because of anti-nutrients called lectins. But don’t be alarmed because lightly steaming them gets rid of lectins.
Peas are great on their own, and they have the incredible ability to take on additional flavors. Take, for example, my pea salad version, which I seasoned with Creole Seasoning. You can taste the perfect blend of spices such as paprika, thyme, basil, and pepper in every spoonful of this salad. Oh, and butter makes everything better, even peas.
What to Serve with Pea Salad?
The simplicity of this dish is what makes it such a tasty holiday staple. You can use this dish as a substitute for macaroni or potato salads. However, I do suggest serving it side by side with these delectable recipes below.
More Easy Side Dish Recipes
Check out my epic list of Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes HERE.
How to Make Pea Salad
Make the Dressing
- Cook the Bacon – Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-based pot. Sauté the bacon over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes or until it is crispy and browned. Transfer with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Set aside to cool.
- Whisk – In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, and creole seasoning. Add salt to taste. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use. (Photos 1-2)
Combine and Mix
- Mix – In a large bowl, add the frozen peas and onion. Add the prepared mayonnaise sauce to the bowl and thoroughly mix. Stir in half of the bacon and the grated cheese. (Photos 3-6)
- Season – Adjust seasonings to taste with more Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Refrigerate and Serve – Top with reserved bacon and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Watch How To Make It
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This blog post was first published in December 2020 and has been updated with an additional write-up.
Pea Salad
Ingredients
- 6-8 bacon strips , chopped
- 1 pound (454 g) frozen peas, defrosted
- ½ cup (42 g) grated cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup (17 g) chopped red onion
Dressing
- ½ cup (115 g) mayonnaise
- ¼ cup (61 g) sour cream
- ½- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning (optional)
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Bacon – Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-based pot. Sauté the bacon over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes or until it is crispy and browned. Transfer with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Set aside to cool.
- Whisk – In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, and creole seasoning. Add salt to taste. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
- Mix – In a large bowl, add the frozen peas and onion. Add the prepared mayonnaise sauce to the bowl and thoroughly mix. Stir in half of the bacon and the grated cheese.
- Season – Adjust seasonings to taste with more Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Refrigerate and Serve – Top with reserved bacon and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips & Notes:
- I suggest using frozen green peas because they have a nicer crunch than canned ones. Also, they were already blanched before they were frozen. So, it saves you a lot of time since you can add them straight into the salad; no extra work is needed.
- To enjoy a vegetarian version, just skip the bacon and swap it with your favorite nuts. You can also enjoy it vegan by using vegan cheese and soy-based sour cream instead of cheddar cheese and regular sour cream.
- Instead of shredded cheese, you can cube the cheese into small squares. That makes it fun.
- You can store leftover pea salad in the fridge for up to three days. However, I don’t recommend freezing salad because it changes the texture a bit too much.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used in the recipe.
jel merd says
Why heat the oil to then fry the bacon in.????
I will skip that step.! Thank you.
ImmaculateBites says
Totally optional, just be careful not to burn the bacon. 🙂
Ruth says
Great recipe, I did squeeze 1/2 a lemon over my peas first, no salt used, added black pepper. Very tasty
Immaculate Bites says
Yum! Thank you for sharing, Ruth! 🙂
Rex Hutcheson says
Delicious!
Helen Dowdy says
so, so , good I just love this great salad dish
imma africanbites says
Same here! Happy holidays! 🙂