Your family is going to love this classic, creamy Pea Salad. It's packed with flavor. Tender peas, crunchy bacon bits, and bites of hearty Cheddar cheese.
Like the Amish Macaroni Salad, this salad makes a great side dish you can bring to parties, potlucks, or backyard barbecues.
Ingredients
SWEET PEAS - If you choose frozen peas, allow enough time to defrost the peas. If you are in a hurry, you can also defrost them using the microwave.
This is a terrific recipe to use up that bag of frozen peas that's been sitting in the freezer for months.
CHEDDAR - Choose your favorite type of cheddar cheese. We prefer sharp yellow Cheddar at my house, but if you prefer mild or white cheddar, that will work, too. You should use a block of cheddar (not pre-shredded) and cut it into small quarter-inch cubes.
BACON - Again, use your favorite type of bacon. I have recently used thick-cut bacon for a lot of recipes. But you can also use regular bacon, pancetta, Canadian bacon, or Turkey bacon.
CELERY - This adds an extra crunch.
DRESSING
SOUR CREAM - Adds a bit of tanginess.
MAYONNAISE - This creates the base for our simple 4-ingredient dressing.
VINEGAR - Apple cider vinegar and a couple of tablespoons of SUGAR create a sweet and tangy balance, thus perfectly complementing the savory salad ingredients.
How To Make Pea Salad
- BACON - Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit and cook the bacon for 15-18. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
- SALAD - Combine peas, celery, bacon, and Cheddar cheese in a large bowl.
- DRESSING - Whisk sour cream, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and sugar until smooth. Pour dressing over the salad and combine well. Serve and enjoy.
Easy Substitutions and Variation
We've been there; you have almost everything in your fridge or your pantry, except for. Don't sweat it! Here are some simple substitutions that will all work well when you're in a pinch!
- Red onions work great instead of celery.
- And instead of bacon, you can use pancetta or even prosciutto.
- Plain or Greek Yogurt instead of Sour Cream. It has the added benefit of saving you some calories, too!
- Use mashed avocado instead of mayonnaise.
- You can use lemon or white wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.
- Use maple syrup, agave, or Stevia instead of plain sugar.
- Add a bit of extra protein. Add a couple of boiled eggs.
How To Store Green Pea Salad
Like most salads, I like to store green pea salad in this glass bowl.
If you prefer a light plastic container, these containers are my absolute favorite.
📌 Save This Pea Salad Recipe!
How long Does The Salad last in the fridge?
This salad will keep overnight. But don't keep it for more than 2 days. The dressing will make the bacon soggy and the celery less crunchy.
What if you want to prep the salad for a party? Pea salad is a popular party salad! Ready to wow a party crowd? No problem.
Add all ingredients, except for the bacon, into a large bowl. Cook off the bacon, but store it in a separate container.
Add the bacon just before serving the pea salad. This way, you'll make sure to give your salad the perfect amount of crunch and texture.
Recipe Tips
DEFROSTING PEAS: You can defrost the peas in the microwave.
But I prefer to slowly let the peas thaw out naturally. And a simple trick I've found is to put the frozen peas onto a baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet on top of the stove while the bacon is cooking. The heat rising from the oven will slowly thaw out the peas.
More Easy Party and Potluck Salad Recipes
Classic Pea Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces peas frozen
- 4 ounces Cheddar Cheese cubed
- 12 ounces bacon chopped
- ½ cup celery diced
Dressing
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
Bacon
- Pre-heat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
- Line the bottom of a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Add a wire rack into the baking sheet, top with parchment paper, and add bacon slices. Bake the bacon for 15-18 minutes or until crispy. Allow the bacon to cool and chop into small bite-sized pieces.
Assembling the Salad
- To make the dressing whisk sour cream, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and sugar in a small until smooth.
- Combine peas, bacon, Cheddar cheese, and celery in a large bowl. Add dressing and combine. Serve and enjoy.
Hannah
What a great salad idea. I made this last weekend and it turned out great.
Maike
I'm so glad you liked it.
Scott Wilson-Houghtalen
I desperately needed to make room in our freezer when I came across this pea salad recipe on Pinterest. Even our kids loved it! Will definitely make again!
Maike
I'm so happy to hear it worked out for your family!