The Best Classic Southern Creamy Pea Salad
This old-fashioned pea salad recipe delivers the creamy, savory comfort food side dish everyone loves. It is simple to make and perfect for potlucks or BBQs.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Total Time: 45 min
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups frozen sweet peas, thawed
- 1 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Thaw the frozen peas completely. Drain any excess water from the peas.
- In a large bowl, combine the thawed peas, crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, finely chopped red onion, and chopped hard-boiled eggs.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until the dressing is smooth. This creates your creamy dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the pea mixture. Gently fold all the ingredients together until everything is evenly coated.
- Cover the bowl and chill the pea salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to blend.
- Serve cold as a classic side dish for your next gathering or weeknight meal.
Notes
- For the best flavor, use good quality, sharp cheddar cheese.
- You can prepare the bacon and chop the onion a day ahead to make assembly even faster.
- If you prefer a tangier dressing, increase the apple cider vinegar by one teaspoon.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 9
- Unsaturated Fat: 16
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 11
- Cholesterol: 65