Description
Classic Southern Pea Salad is a creamy, flavorful side dish featuring sweet peas, hard-boiled eggs, bacon or ham, cheese, and a tangy dressing made with mayonnaise and sour cream. Perfectly seasoned with black pepper, garlic powder, celery seeds, and a hint of cayenne pepper, this salad is a refreshing complement to any meal. It’s easy to prepare, requires no cooking beyond prepping the eggs and bacon, and is best served chilled after the flavors meld.
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package frozen sweet peas, thawed and uncooked
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 4-6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled, or 1 cup cooked ham, chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion (or regular onion)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or any kind of cheese)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds or 1/2 cup chopped celery
- Dash of cayenne pepper
Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: In a large salad bowl, add the thawed sweet peas, chopped hard-boiled eggs, crispy crumbled bacon or chopped ham if using, chopped green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, celery seeds or chopped celery, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Mix gently to distribute all ingredients evenly.
- Add Dressing: Stir in the mayonnaise and sour cream until the mixture is well combined and creamy, coating all of the ingredients thoroughly.
- Chill: Cover the salad bowl and refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld and intensify.
- Serve: Serve the pea salad chilled as a flavorful side dish. This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings, making it ideal for gatherings or meal prep.
Notes
- Use fresh peas if available, but adjust prep accordingly as fresh peas may require blanching.
- For a vegetarian version, omit bacon and ham and consider adding nuts or chickpeas for protein.
- Adjust cayenne pepper to taste for preferred spice level.
- Hard-boiled eggs can be prepared ahead of time to streamline assembly.
- This salad keeps well refrigerated for up to 2 days; avoid keeping longer to maintain freshness.
