Pea Salad With Bacon
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Pea Salad with Bacon has the perfect balance of crunchy, soft, and creamy textures. Featuring cubes of cheddar cheese and a deliciously tangy dressing, you’ll want to serve this cold pea salad at every barbecue and potluck!
Pea Salad With Bacon
Deliciously fresh and creamy, old fashioned pea salad is making a comeback! Pair it with grilled chicken, juicy lemon garlic shrimp, or any of your favorite cookout foods.
Peas are one of our favorite veggies, and this creamy pasta salad with peas and bacon is just amazing.
Not a fan of peas? Try a similar dish made with broccoli instead. It has a lot of similar ingredients, plus raisins for extra sweetness.
And for more dishes just like grandma used to make, check out my recipes for southern potato and macaroni salad.
Pea Salad Recipe Tips
- Thaw the peas. If you toss them in frozen, you will end up with lots of liquid in the bottom of your bowl.
Thaw them completely, drain, and pat dry with a paper towel before starting this recipe for pea salad. - Boost the flavor. The ingredients in the dressing, especially the dill, really shine the longer they sit and develop.
Mix them together the day before and refrigerate, if you can. - Keep it chilled! Because the dressing contains both sour cream and mayonnaise, old fashioned pea salad needs to be refrigerated.
For parties, place the bowl inside a larger bowl filled with ice so it stays cool, and don’t leave it out for more than an hour or two. - Add a garnish. Save a little bit of the peas, bacon, onion, and cheese to sprinkle over the top of the finished dish.
Or, mix it all together and add some fresh dill as a finishing touch. - Need a smaller amount? Easily halve the pea salad recipe or save the rest for later. Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Best Ways To Cook Bacon
I personally love to cook bacon in the oven! It’s less messy and frees up my focus to work on other things, like prepping the ingredients for this old fashioned pea salad.
Using an air fryer is another quick way to cook bacon.
Because this recipe for pea salad calls for chopped bacon, you can dice the strips cold and cook them on the stove that way.
Stir them occasionally so they crisp evenly, then drain once they are done!
Cold Pea Salad FAQ
You sure can! Pea salad with bacon can be assembled and chilled a few hours before you plan on serving.
Or, prep the ingredients and whisk together the dressing the day before. Store everything in the refrigerator in separate containers, then put it all together just before you eat!
Other popular additions to pea salad with bacon include crispy veggies like bell peppers and shredded carrots or leftover ham in place of the bacon.
You can also slice up some hard boiled eggs and swap out the cheddar for your favorite variety of cheese.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Simple Summer Salads
Pea Salad With Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 10 ounce bags frozen peas, thawed and pat dry
- 1 pound applewood smoked bacon, cooked and chopped
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
- 1/4 red onion, diced
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss together peas, bacon, cheese, and onion until combined.
- Prepare the dressing by whisking together the sour cream, mayonnaise, sugar, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dill. Taste the dressing and adjust seasonings.
- Add the dressing to the pea mixture and toss gently to combine.
- Serve! Salad can be prepared several hours in advance of serving and is best served chilled.
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published February 2022, updated and republished April 2023
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Does cooking bacon in the oven pop grease in the oven at all ? I really want to know for sure. Thank you
I have cooked bacon in my oven for many years. Yes, it does pop in the oven, but not nearly as much as on the stove top. I haven’t ever had a mess to clean up from the grease. I put my bacon on cooling racks and then put the cooling racks inside my cookie sheets. This contains the grease for easy cleanup. It also keeps it off of the bacon for a lot less greasy bacon.
Yes it makes a nasty mess
This was so delicious. I love the peas and ham together in this, it is such a creamy and yummy mixture.
Where is the recipe for the dressing???
I’ve scrolled up & down, still can’t find it.
Hi Cliffie,
The recipe card is located at the bottom of the post above your comment. Hope this helps!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli