Creamy pea salad with bacon
Creamy pea salad with cheddar and bacon is a classic Southern side dish at potlucks and BBQs and easy to make ahead. It’s always a hit!
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb. frozen green peas
- ¾ cup diced sharp cheddar cheese (or sub grated cheddar)
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped (see notes)
- ½ cup mayonnaise (see notes)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the frozen peas in a colander and thaw under running cold water, about a minute.
- Add the peas, cheddar, bacon and red onion to a large bowl and mix well.
- Add the mayonnaise, salt and pepper and stir until everything is well coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving, to allow the flavors to meld and the salad to get chilled.
- This salad is best served on the day it’s made. (You don’t want the bacon to get soggy.)
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Notes
If your red onion seems pungent, you can dice it then soak the red onion pieces in a small bowl of cold water for 5-10 minutes to take out some of the bite. Just drain them well and pat them dry before adding them to the salad.
Mayonnaise is traditional for the salad. I use a light mayo and that’s fine here. You can also substitute part or all of the mayo for some Greek yogurt, if you want to add more of a tang to the dressing.
Some people add a few pinches of sugar to the mayo for the dressing in this salad. I don’t think it’s necessary because the peas add plenty of sweetness, but feel free to try that.
Pea salad is best the day it’s made. If you are making it a day ahead, I’d recommend waiting to add the bacon so it doesn’t get soggy.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 490kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 784mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g
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