• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Southern Kissed logo
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Privacy Policy
×
Home » Recipes » Side Dishes » Classic Pea Salad Recipe

Classic Pea Salad Recipe

Published: Mar 13, 2023 · Modified: May 12, 2023 by Lynda · This post may contain affiliate links.

Sharing is caring!

20 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Yummly
Jump to Recipe

This recipe for classic pea salad is a great side dish. It’s easy to make and packed full of flavor from sweet peas and crispy bacon bits, making it a delicious addition to any outdoor barbecue or picnic. Plus, it can be prepared in advance – making it one of those dishes that you don’t even have to think about when hosting an event!

Bowl of pea salad.
Jump to:
  • 💖 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
  • 📝 Ingredients
  • 👩🏻‍🍳 Directions
  • 📌 Recipe Notes and Tips
  • 🔄 Substitutions
  • 🤷🏻‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
  • 📖 Recipe

This green pea salad recipe is made with a blend of frozen peas, mayonnaise, red onion, Cheddar cheese, and bacon bits. The vegetables add crunch and nutrients to the salad, while the creamy mayonnaise-sour cream blend ties all the flavors together.

This old-fashioned pea salad is the perfect side dish for any summer get-together. Of course, it works great all year round as well. It’s always a hit, so you can rest assured that your recipe will be a crowd pleaser! Try it and you will see why it is a classic side dish.

💖 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • This creamy pea salad is a simple side dish made with simple ingredients.
  • You can make it in advance, which makes it great for busy days or events.
  • It’s full of flavor, thanks to the combination of mayonnaise, Cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and red onion.
  • It’s made with basic ingredients, plus there’s no added sugar in this recipe!
  • This cold pea salad can be eaten as either a side dish or on its own.

📝 Ingredients

  • 7 cups Frozen Peas, thawed
  • 8 Ounces Cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
  • 3 Ounces Real Bacon Bits
  • 1 Red Onion or purple onion, cut into slivers
  • ⅓ cup Mayonnaise
  • ⅓ Cup Sour Cream
  • 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 Teaspoon Dried Dill
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Ingredients to make pea salad.

👩🏻‍🍳 Directions

Cheddar cheese, bacon, red onion, peas, sour cream, and may in a mixing bowl.

Place thawed peas, cheese, bacon bits, onion, mayo, sour cream, vinegar, and seasonings in a large bowl and fold until fully combined.

Adding seasoning to pea salad ingredients.

Eat immediately or place in the refrigerator in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap until ready to serve.

Large bowl of pea salad.

📌 Recipe Notes and Tips

  • I recommend that you make the salad a day in advance so that the flavors can marry.
  • To thaw frozen peas, place them in the refrigerator the night before you plan on making this salad.
  • This pea salad recipe will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
  • Look for bacon bits that don’t contain nitrates or nitrites or cook 4-6 slices of bacon (look for nitrate/nitrite-free bacon), drain on paper towels, and crumble.

🔄 Substitutions

  • If you don’t like chunks of cheese, you can use shredded cheese. You can also use Miracle Whip in place of mayonnaise.
  • You can swap out the dried dill, salt, and pepper and use Ranch seasoning. (I recommend starting with 1 tablespoon and adding more seasoning, if needed, to suit your preference.)
  • Cheddar cheese is recommended in this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite type of cheese. (My personal favorite is sharp Cheddar cheese.) Monterey Jack or Colby are good options. 
  • If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can use white wine vinegar or lemon juice instead.
  • Got fresh herbs? You can use 1 tablespoon of fresh dill in place of 1 teaspoon of dried dill.

🤷🏻‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

How long does this pea salad last in the fridge?

This pea salad will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can this pea salad be served cold?

Yes, this pea salad can be served either cold or at room temperature. The colder it is, the more flavorful it will be.

Can you freeze pea salad?

No, pea salad should not be frozen. The vegetables in the salad will become mushy and lose their crunch when thawed.

📖 Recipe

Bowl of pea salad.

Classic Pea Salad

This old-fashioned pea salad is the perfect go-to side dish for any summer get-together. Of course, it is delicious all year round as well.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 321kcal
Author: Lynda

Ingredients

  • 7 cups Frozen Peas (32 ounces), thawed
  • 8 Ounces Cheddar cut into small cubes
  • 3 Ounces Real Bacon Bits
  • 1 Red Onion or purple onion cut into slivers
  • ⅓ cup Mayonnaise
  • ⅓ Cup Sour Cream
  • 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 Teaspoon Dried Dill
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Pepper

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and fold until fully combined.
  • Eat immediately or place in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Video

Notes

  • You can thaw frozen peas in the refrigerator overnight.
  • This pea salad recipe will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
  • Look for bacon bits that don’t contain nitrates or nitrites or cook 4-6 slices bacon (nitrate/nitrite-free), drain on paper towels, and crumble.
Substitutions
  • If you don’t like chunks of cheese, you can use shredded cheese. You can also use Miracle Whip in place of mayonnaise.
  • You can swap out the dried dill, salt, and pepper and use Ranch seasoning. (I recommend starting with 1 tablespoon and adding more seasoning, if needed, to suit your preference.)
  • Cheddar cheese is recommended in this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite type of cheese. Monterey Jack or Colby are good options.
  • If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can use white wine vinegar or lemon juice instead.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 963mg | Potassium: 352mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1045IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this Recipe? Share it Today!Mention @SouthernKissedBlog or tag #southernkissed!

Be sure to come back and tell us how your pea salad turned out in the comment section below!

More Side Dishes To Complete Your Meal

  • Baked hash brown casserole topped with chopped chives.
    Easy Hashbrowns Casserole With Corn Flakes
  • Skillet of bbq baked beans with ground beef and bacon.
    BBQ Baked Beans With Ground Beef Recipe
  • Plate of pineapple coleslaw.
    Easy Pineapple Coleslaw Recipe
  • A spoonful of caprese pasta salad made with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
    Easy Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe

Reader Interactions

Talk To Us Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Lynda and Johnny statue

My name is Lynda and I am a recovering sugar addict and travel junkie. I’m also a mom of two children & 2 dogs, wife of 1….and a messy cook taking life one bite at a time.

More about me →

Chicken 🐓 Recipes

  • Fork getting a bite of chicken divan.
    Easy Chicken Divan Recipe Made From Scratch
  • Bowl of chicken pot pie soup and a pan of biscuits.
    Easy Chicken Pot Pie Soup Recipe
  • Big scoop of chicken pot pie casserole.
    Easy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe With Biscuits
  • pot of chicken and dumplings
    Quick and Easy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
  • Bowl of chicken and dumplings.
    Easy Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
  • Skillet of Thai chicken stir-fry.
    Healthy Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

See All Chicken Recipes

Popular Recipes

  • pot of chicken and dumplings
    Quick and Easy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
  • Alabama white bbq sauce on a spoon
    How To Make Alabama White Sauce
  • Fork cutting into a slice of Ooey Gooey Butter Cake.
    Paula Deen’s Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
  • brown sugar glazed meatloaf in a pan
    The Best Brown Sugar Glazed Meatloaf Recipe

Footer

ACCESSIBILITY

AS AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE I EARN FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES.

COPYRIGHT © 2023 SOUTHERN KISSED®