Classic Pea Salad Recipe

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a large bowl of creamy english pea salad topped with crispy bacon bits and cubes of cheddar cheese

This pea salad recipe is creamy, cheesy, and topped with crispy bacon, a classic side dish that’s perfect for any occasion. Take it to a potluck, serve it at a BBQ, or make it for a quick and flavorful side for dinner! This salad comes together in minutes and delivers big flavor.

It’s the perfect side dish for Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. I don’t know where English pea salad originated from, or why it’s so dang good considering it’s the world’s shortest list of ingredients, but I do know that any time someone shares a photo of a potluck or church spread, there’s that pea salad!

Last Fourth of July, we had Cade’s mom, brother, and his family and a friend over for a fun day of swimming and eating. Yes, I did wear a red bathing suit. Yes, I did get mistaken for the lifeguard 100 times. We swam, the kids became exhausted, and we headed back to the house where we cooked up classic burgers and a selection of our favorite summer salads including this English pea salad and our tomato cucumber salad. We finished the night off with our gooey Rice Krispie treats! God Bless America!

Ingredients for Pea Salad

  • Mayonnaise: Provides a creamy, rich base that binds all the flavors together.
  • Sour Cream: Adds tanginess and smooth texture for the perfect balance.
  • Cheddar Cheese: Sharp, cubed cheddar adds bold flavor and bite to the salad.
  • Red Onion: Gives a mild crunch and subtle sweetness for extra depth.
  • Sugar: Balances the tangy dressing and enhances the peas’ natural sweetness.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar: Adds a bright, tangy note to the creamy dressing.
  • Salt: Enhances all the flavors in the salad.
  • Bacon: Crispy, crumbled bacon adds smoky, savory flavor and crunch.
  • Frozen Peas: Sweet and tender peas form the heart of this classic salad.

Tips for Making English Pea Salad

  1. There’s a BIG FAT SECRET to making English pea salad. Do you know what it is? It tastes best with only slightly defrosted, never cooked frozen sweet peas. That’s right, grab your bag of peas and throw them into the fridge to defrost them a little, and when you pour them into the bowl you should hear them falling and they should have a small crunch to them as they are still a little frozen.
  2. When chopping the red onion, dice it into small bits and not slices as that’s more cumbersome to eat. If you’re not a huge fan of raw onion, try running it under cold tap water for a few seconds to rem
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Southern English Pea Salad

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Southern English Pea Salad

a wooden bowl full of creamy southern english pea salad with bacon, chunks of colby jack cheese

This Southern English pea salad is a refreshing and delicious side dish, perfect for any gathering. Made with peas, bacon, herbs, and a creamy dressing, it’s sure to be a hit at your next potluck or holiday dinner.

It’s the perfect side dish for Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. I don’t know where English pea salad originated from, or why it’s so dang good considering it’s the world’s shortest list of ingredients, but I do know that any time someone shares a photo of a Southern Potluck or church spread, there’s that pea salad!

Last Fourth of July, we had Cade’s mom, brother, and his family and a friend over for a fun day of swimming and eating. Yes, I did wear a red bathing suit. Yes, I did get mistaken for the lifeguard 100 times. I have had the worst time trying to find a bathing suit that wasn’t cut crazy high or crazy low all year and this one I love, though I will watch where I wear it now. 

But back to the BBQ — we swam, the kids became exhausted, and we headed back to the house where we cooked up classic burgers thanks to our 2 hamburger secrets post, and a selection of our favorite summer salads including this green pea salad, our tomato mozzarella salad, and Nancy’s Southern Grape Salad. We finished the night off with our dreamiest Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting EVER.

Green pea salad is considered to be low-carb, gluten-free, and a slightly healthier option to pasta salad (though we have a pasta version of this recipe too if you prefer). But this doesn’t mean it’s straight up healthy — it contains bacon, cheese, and mayonnaise, after all.

What Ingredients Do I Need for This Salad Recipe?

Although English pea salad has a few different names, it’s all the exact same thing — cold pea salad. You may hear it called pea salad, English Pea Salad, Southern Pea Salad, Green Pea Salad, or, as we’ve called it, Southern English Pea Salad.

Here’s what goes into this easy potluck side dish recipe: 

  • Frozen Peas
  • Mayonnaise
  • Apple Cider Vinegar 
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Red Onion
  • Bacon
  • Cheese (Colby Jack or Cheddar Cheese is our favorite)

Some recipes also call for hard-boiled eggs, which we left out this time as I’m really enjoying it as a straight up pea salad lately. I’ve added it into the recipe as optional in case

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