Pea Salad

5 from 6 votes

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This yummy Pea Salad, made with bacon and blue cheese, is the perfect Springtime side dish. Serve alongside this Crockpot Ham Recipe for Easter 🙂

pea salad in a bowl

Pea Salad | A Twist on a Classic

I made Pea Salad. I’ve never done that before. I thought it would be weird and taste funky. But then I got the brilliant idea to add bacon and blue cheese which made it taste like bacon and blue cheese and suddenly pea salads were worth thinking about wasting calories on. 

My son was not a fan of this salad {I think mostly because of the blue cheese} and my daughter ate a few bites and literally yelled “I LOVE PEAS!” So, that’s the norm at my house.

And, here I sit typing these words with a bowl of this salad right next to me…at midnight. Yes, I’m a fan of the pea salads too.

If you’ve never thought about turning peas into a salad, today would be a great day to give it a whirl. It’s like bacony springtime in a bowl.

Peas bacon and blue cheese in a glass bowl

Main Ingredients Needed

You only need 5 ingredients (plus some salt + pepper) to make this amazing pea salad!

  • English Peas – I used fresh English peas from Trader Joe’s. They were lovely and had a great texture to them. See my notes below about using frozen peas.
  • Blue Cheese – I love blue cheese, but I know it’s a controversial ingredient. So feel free to substitute with cheddar or provolone or even feta cheese.
  • Bacon Bits – I always keep a bag of bacon bits on hand. It’s such a time saver! But if you want to do this by hand, cook bacon in the oven and then crumble it away!
  • Mayonnaise, S&P + Dill – these three make up the dressing. Please use real mayonnaise and not Miracle Whip.

Can I use Frozen Peas instead of Fresh?

If you can’t find the fresh peas, get some frozen ones and defrost them quickly in a colander with warm water. Once they are defrosted, run some cold water over them to chill and then dry on a clean kitchen towel. You can also defrost in the fridge overnight, just be sure to rinse and dry them before using.

The difference between fresh and frozen peas is only slight. The fresh peas definitely are crunchier and sweeter than frozen, but again, the difference is only slight. The peas act more like a vehicle to make eating straight-up bacon and cheese more socially acceptable. So I wouldn’t worry too much about it. A really really delicious (and different!) salad to serve all Spring and Summer long.

How to Make Pea Salad

For full details on how to make this Pea Salad, see the recipe card down below 🙂

Cook Peas

Start by cooking your fresh peas. Bring large pot of water to boil, salt the water and cook peas for 90 seconds or so. Drain and submerge into ice water. Drain again and pour onto clean dish towels to dry. As you dry the peas, go through them to pick out any bad peas.

Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

*If using frozen peas that have already been defrosted, you can skip this step.

Bacon + Blue Cheese

Grab some bacon crumbles {I use the pre-crumbled kind from costco} and add those into the bowl along with some blue cheese.

Dressing + Serve

For the dressing, stir some mayonnaise together with a little salt, pepper and some dill.

Once that’s pulled together, pour it over your ingredients. Give it a good stir and that’s it! Your pea salad is finito.

Leftovers

You can eat it right away, or refrigerate it and enjoy it as you’d like. This Pea Salad will last in the fridge for up to 4 days. Be sure to cover well!

pea salad in a bowl

More Salad Recipes to Try!

A fun and different kind of salad that seems to be super popular these days. If you like bacon….and cheese, this pea salad is especially for you 🙂

The printable recipe card is down below. Have a great day, friends!

Pea salad in a dish on a platter.
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5 from 6 votes

EASIEST Pea Salad

This yummy Pea Salad, made with bacon and blue cheese, is the perfect Springtime side dish. Be sure to try this soon!
servings 6 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 20 oz english peas fresh, shelled
  • 2 oz blue cheese crumbled
  • 1/2 cup bacon crumbled
  • 1/4 cup red onion diced
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • salt & black pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp dried dill

Instructions

  • Bring pot of water to boil. Salt water and add in peas. Cook 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Drain and submerge into ice water. Drain again and pour onto clean dish towels to dry. As you dry peas, sort through them to remove any brown peas or random debris, like stalks and leaves. Pour peas into large bowl. Add in cheese and bacon.
  • For the dressing, stir mayonnaise, salt, pepper and dill together until smooth. Pour over peas and stir to coat. Either serve immediately or chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Video

Notes

If you can’t find the fresh peas, get some frozen ones and defrost them quickly in a colander with warm water. Once they are defrosted, run some cold water over them to chill and then dry on a clean kitchen towel. You can also defrost in the fridge overnight, just be sure to rinse and dry them before using. No need to blanch them like you would using the fresh peas.

Nutrition

Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 417mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 817IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pea salad

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Recipe Rating




28 Responses
  1. Val

    5 stars
    I bought fresh peas three times ( at Trader Joe’s and made it today as soon as I brought the peas home (!they go bad quickly). The flavor profile is amazing: I can’t figure out how you chose dill in the dressing but it just works! I think it’ll be even better chilled. Hope my hubby likes this: not a pea fan, but then he’s never had FRESH with bacon and blue cheese!! Pairs well with pita bite crackers 😁

  2. Sharon

    5 stars
    Love the recipe, thanks! I did laugh when I read this: “The peas act more like a vehicle to make eating straight-up bacon and cheese more socially acceptable.”

    So true, so true ……
    Haha!

  3. Nikki M

    I make a similar salad however I use cheddar cheese & add sweet pickle relish & diced hard boiled egg & red onion (diced). Perfect with Easter ham.

  4. Dani H

    I wish you wouldn’t always tell people not to use Miracle Whip.

    I feel about mayonnaise the way you do about Miracle Whip. I hate it. But I would never disparage someone for having different favorite foods.

    If you have to say something, why not just explain that you prefer mayonnaise to Miracle Whip. Everyone knows the difference and everyone is entitled to their favorite. Some people even like both.

    I love blue cheese but prefer cheddar in my pea salad as well as Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise.

    There are other recipes of yours that I love just as written.

    Please stop putting me down for liking Miracle Whip.

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  7. Julia

    Blue cheese and bacon go so great together! I never thought to put them in a salad with peas–I love the idea. Such a great picnic dish.

  8. beejsteph

    Lauren,
    While I Love Peas…I Cannot Bring Myself To Eat Blue Cheese ANYTHING! 🙁 So I Guess I Will Try Another Creamy Dressing Instead 🙂
    As For Your Bruises….PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Call Your Dr, Make An APPT To See Him/Her Because Someone I LOVE VERY VERY Much Had The EXACT Same Thing, And They Went To The Dr Too Late…They Had Cancer…All You Need Is A Blood Test To Check And See If You Have Any Tumor Markers/Cancer In Your Body. I Am NOT Trying To Scare You…Just Err On The Side Of Caution!! If For No Other Reason…Do It For Your Children!!!

  9. Amy @ Accidental Happy Baker

    I actually saw this post the other day and was like hmm. I would have never thought of this combination, but the more I thought it about it the more I’ve become obsessed with it. This is definitely something I want to make soon. For reals.

  10. Colleen

    Hey, not to be an alarmist, but extensive, inexplicable bruising can point to a blood or immune system issue. Might not be a bad idea to mention it to your doctor. Blessings!

  11. Chris Hansley

    I make this salad with cheddar cheese cubes. I’ll be trying the Bleu Cheese version soon. I might put less mayo and add our favorite Bleu Cheese salad dressing. We love Bleu Cheese.

  12. Tonia

    I love pea salad – my mom makes one with cauliflower & bacon. You cut the cauliflower florets up about the size of peas and just blanche them. And, of course, bacon. 🙂

  13. Allison - Celebrating Sweets

    Why can’t this be my lunch today?! I see a trip to the store in the near future for these ingredients. Pinned to try!

  14. Senika @ Foodie Blog Stalker

    I definitely was not excited about a pea salad post until I saw BACON & BLEU CHEESE! And, now, you’ve convinced me to make it. Pinned!

  15. Julia

    Ah man, I hope those sore bruises go away soon. I find mystery bruises too from time to time and wonder where they heystack they came from.

    This pea salad looks magnificent! Bring on that blue cheese and bacon!

  16. Karen @ On the Banks of Salt Creek

    I LOVE blue cheese. The kids don’t. I’m still going to make this. Maybe the bacon will win them over.

  17. Ruth Jerkins

    Have never used fresh peas but will.look for some. But think those skin bruises should be reported to your physician. they are concerning. Stay healthy.

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