Go Back

Pea Salad

Creamy pea salad with bright green peas coated in a tangy mayonnaise-sour cream dressing and studded with crispy bacon crumbles, cheddar cubes, and red onion. This southern-style pea salad chills for 1 hour so the flavors meld, making it an easy potluck salad with a fresh, crisp bite.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 365
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Frozen peas (thawed)
  • 4 cup frozen peas, thawed Do not cook.
Bacon
  • 6 strip bacon, cooked and crumbled
Sharp cheddar
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, cubed small
Red onion
  • 0.5 cup red onion, finely diced
Creamy dressing
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 0.1 salt To taste.
  • 0.1 black pepper To taste.

Method
 

Thaw and prep
  1. Thaw the frozen peas completely, then pat them dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture (no heat involved). Use a dry texture so the dressing clings instead of getting watery.
Mix the salad
  1. Combine the peas, crumbled bacon, cheddar cubes, and red onion in a large bowl. Toss just until evenly distributed so every bite shows green peas, bacon bits, and yellow cheddar.
Make the creamy dressing
  1. Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth, using steady stirring to fully dissolve the sugar and seasoning. The dressing should look glossy and uniform.
Combine and chill
  1. Pour the dressing over the pea mixture and fold gently until everything is evenly coated. Fold slowly so the peas stay bright and intact rather than crushed.
  2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors develop, then stir and taste for seasoning before serving. The salad should look slightly thickened and cohesive after chilling.

Notes

Pro tip: pat the thawed peas very dry—excess moisture is the main reason pea salad turns watery. Refrigerate in a covered container up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended. If you want a lighter option, swap light mayonnaise for the mayonnaise (the tang and coating still work well for this chilled salad).