Pea Salad

A Popular Deli Salad

Pea salad is what I would call a deli salad. Not a green salad made with spinach or romaine, but the kind of salad they sell next to all the lunchmeat and cheeses in the deli case—like potato salad and macaroni salad.

While green salads have a short storage life, deli salads will last a few days. And most deli salads are delicious because they’re made with creamy-dreamy dressings! But this pea salad isn’t just creamy—it’s got loads of flavor and texture, too, thanks to the sweet green peas, sharp cheddar cheese, and smoky bacon. 

There are endless takes on pea salad with all different kinds of add-ins, but this is my favorite version. Don’t be afraid to put your own spin on it though!

Versatile (Delicious!) Pea Salad

So tasty! What more is there to say?! I think the combination of bright green peas, a tangy/sweet mayonnaise dressing, sharp cheese, and crisp salty bacon speaks for itself—and it says YUM. Even if you’re a bit ho-hum when it comes to green peas, you’re going to love this dressed-up version.

Easy to make. With minimal prep time, this salad is a breeze to whip up. Much of the prep work can be done ahead of time, too, and then it’s just a matter of stirring everything together. (This broccoli salad is super easy, too.)

Perfect for any occasion. Potlucks! Holidays! Backyard barbecues! Picnics! Whatever the occasion, creamy pea salad is always a welcome addition to the menu. What I love about this pea salad recipe is that I can prep it a couple of hours ahead of time and stick it in the fridge until I’m ready to go. The pea salad actually gets better as it sits.

Ingredient Notes

• Sour cream and mayonnaise: These two ingredients are combined to make the base of the creamy dressing for this pea salad. You can swap in Greek yogurt for the sour cream if you prefer. I would stay away from fat-free yogurt because it tends to make the salad watery after it’s refrigerated.
• White vinegar: Plain white vinegar adds a tangy element to balance the other flavors in this salad. I like to use white vinegar for this salad because it’s bright and simple. You can substitute apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar but they do add a distinctive flavor.
• Sugar: Some mayo-based dressings have loads of sugar but I just use a teaspoon. The peas already add lots of natural sweetness. That being said, if you like a little more sweetness, feel free to add more sugar.
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper: Simple seasonings but important ones. You’ll find that freshly ground black pepper is more flavorful than store-bought ground pepper.
• Frozen peas: Let’s be honest: fresh peas just aren’t very practical. They’re a lot of work! The good news is that frozen peas are just as good; in fact, frozen peas are often more tasty, since fresh peas have such a short shelf life. Frozen peas are a more economical choice, too.
• Red onion: For this pea salad, I like to finely dice red onion for a little bit of bite, but not too much. The flavor mellows a bit from the vinegar. 
• Cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar has a lot of bang for the buck (in other words, you don’t need much to pack in a lot of flavor). Cut the cheese into small cubes, about the size of the peas. While I’ve also seen recipes where the cheese is shredded, cubes give you more flavor and texture.
• Bacon: Cook the bacon before starting the recipe. I love this air fryer bacon method to cook small amounts of bacon. You can also bake the bacon (a whole package) and freeze the extra for later use.
• Fresh parsley: For a hit of fresh flavor, finish the salad with a small handful of chopped fresh parsley, either curly or Italian flat-leaf, it doesn’t matter.

How to Make Pea Salad

Prep the peas. Empty the bag of frozen peas into a colander. Run cold water over them until they’re thawed. Drain them well—if you don’t have time to air dry them, set them on a clean kitchen towel and very gently pat them dry. If the peas are too wet, they’ll water down the dressing.

Make the dressing. Whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until the mixture is smooth. Use a large bowl—you’ll add the other ingredients to the bowl in a minute!

Combine the salad and dressing. Add the peas, along with the finely chopped red onion, cubed cheese, crumbled bacon, and parsley. Gently stir until everything is well-coated with the dressing.

Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the pea salad for at least 1 hour. This allows the flavors to develop in the salad as it absorbs some of the dressing.

Serve. Lightly stir the pea salad before you serve it. I usually taste the salad to check the seasoning; add more salt, pepper, sugar, or vinegar if you feel the salad needs it.

Easy Recipe Variations

• Add boiled eggs. Make a batch of hard-boiled eggs, peel and chop them, then gently toss the eggs with the rest of the pea salad.
• Add peanuts. Some classic pea salads contain peanuts; in fact, I saw recipes that replaced half of the peas with roasted peanuts. They add a nice crunchy element and lots of flavor, too.
• Skip the bacon. You can omit meat altogether for a vegetarian pea salad, or use diced ham. (This is a great way to use leftover ham!) You could also add another vegetable, like diced celery or green bell peppers.
• Make it extra bacon-y. There’s really no upper limit on the amount of bacon you can add. Bacon it up!
• Try other herbs. If you have an herb garden, this pea salad works with so many different herbs—mint, chives, tarragon, dill, and more. 

Serving Suggestions

Cookouts, potlucks, BBQs. I always associate deli salads like this with cookouts and potlucks because it travels so well and can be made ahead. Consider serving pea salad instead of baked beans. These grilled chicken thighs are easy and so tasty.

Side dish. Keep a dish of pea salad in the fridge for an easy side to accompany a fast-cooking main dish like air fryer tilapia or air fryer pork chops. You’ll have a tasty and nutritious dinner on the table in no time at all.

Sandwiches. The creaminess of the dressing in pea salad provides a nice contrast to Instant Pot pulled pork sandwiches. The salad goes well with air fryer grilled cheese sandwiches, too, or a simple turkey wrap.

Storage

Refrigerate pea salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Give it a good stir before serving to redistribute the dressing. (This isn’t a recipe that can be frozen; mayo separates when frozen and thawed.)