Classic Pea Salad is a celebration of basic ingredients working in perfect harmony, not just a recipe. This meal immediately brings back fond memories of family get-togethers, Easter brunches, summer barbecues, and hearty potluck buffets. This salad, with its sharp cheese, crisp bacon, creamy dressing, and naturally sweet peas, is both nostalgic and pleasantly cool. Its delicate balance—savory with a touch of sweetness, creamy yet light, and incredibly adaptable yet traditional—is what makes it so lovely.
The dressing is the foundation of any great classic pea salad, and this one is incredibly flavorful despite being pleasantly simple. In a large mixing bowl, begin by combining ½ cup of sour cream and ½ cup of mayonnaise. The mayonnaise adds depth and richness, and the sour cream lightens the texture and adds a nice tang. This creamy combination serves as the dressing’s base.
Next, add 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, just enough to balance the saltiness of the cheese and bacon and bring out the peas’ inherent sweetness. Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to give it a bright, somewhat acidic kick. This component keeps the creaminess from becoming overly thick and improves the salad’s freshness. To give the dressing a mild savory backbone, add ½ teaspoon of salt at the end. Starting here lets the flavors grow organically without being overbearing, but you can adjust the salt to taste later.
It’s time to bring in the main performers after your dressing is polished and well-combined. Start with 4 cups of completely thawed and drained frozen peas. Because frozen peas maintain their vibrant color and somewhat firm texture even after dressing and chilling, they are ideal for this dish. Avoid freezing or frying them, ensuring they are firm yet soft enough to bite through. The juicy and sweet peas serve as the ideal foundation for the strong tastes that follow.
Add eight pieces of crispy bacon, broken up into bite-sized bits. The soft peas and creamy dressing make a wonderful contrast to the bacon’s smoky, salty crunch. After combining it with the dressing and refrigerating it, the bacon will soften a little, so it’s crucial to cook it until it’s really crisp. To achieve the best results, crumble the cooked bacon into the bowl after letting it drip on paper towels to get rid of extra grease.
Add ½ of a medium red onion, chopped fine, and fold in. The red onion helps cut through the salad’s richness by adding a little bite and sharpness. Cut it into small pieces so that it disperses evenly and doesn’t overwhelm any one mouthful. Before adding the chopped onion to the salad, soak it in cold water for ten minutes or so if you’re sensitive to the sharpness of raw onions. This will soften the flavor without sacrificing crunch.
Add 1½ cups of cheddar cheese, chopped into uniformly small pieces, to complete the salad. The cheese gives the meal a hint of weight, savoriness, and creaminess. Here, a sharp cheddar is ideal since it can withstand the dressing and tastes great with the bacon and peas. To ensure that the cubes blend in well with the salad without overpowering the other components, make sure to cut them small enough.
Once all of your ingredients are in the bowl, whisk the mixture gently until the creamy dressing coats everything evenly. For the greatest texture, the peas should stay whole and intact; do not mash them. Before serving, let the salad sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour after it has been thoroughly combined. This chilling period is vital. It gives the salad its distinctive texture and flavor by allowing the flavors to combine and the dressing to gradually solidify. Many people believe that the flavor gets better with a little time, so you can even cook it a few hours in advance or the night before.
Gently mix the salad and taste for spice just before serving. If necessary, add a splash of vinegar or a little salt to make it more vibrant. Add a few additional bacon crumbles as a garnish for a little more crunch and flair. It enhances the dish’s visual attractiveness and highlights the savory, smoky flavor that makes it so delicious.
Classic pea salad is more complex than it first appears. This meal unites generations; it’s fancy enough for a festive table but still manageable for a weeknight supper. The dish’s appeal comes from the contrast of flavors and textures: the cheese’s richness, the onion’s sharpness, the peas’ sweetness, the bacon’s crispness, and the dressing’s creaminess. When combined, they produce a salad that is both refreshing and comforting, appropriate for both a festive brunch and a backyard barbecue. Classic Pea Salad is a classic reminder that sometimes the simplest foods make the biggest impression, whether you’re making it for the first time or continuing a family tradition.