Old Fashioned English Pea Salad
This Old Fashioned English Pea Salad is a classic Southern side dish and a “must” for your Easter menu! It pairs well with baked spiral ham and is ready in 20-minutes! Thawed sweet peas nestled in a tangy mayonnaise sauce with bites of cheddar cheese and red onion – and the beauty of this easy recipe is that there’s no cooking involved!
Southerner’s refer to this as a “salad” as they refer to “chicken or tuna salad“-there’s no lettuce or greens in it, just the peas, mayonnaise and a few other all-natural ingredients
This Southern Pea Salad is a staple menu item especially at Easter because it pairs beautifully with ham. You’ll find a big bowl of this at Southern funeral’s, too. It’s a vintage recipe that requires no time at all!
Why you’ll like it!
- A “NO-COOK” classic pea salad recipe–literally, you don’t have to cook anything!
- Easy, simple, affordable and tasty!
- Easy clean-up: two bowls and a cutting board then BAM, you’re done!
- It’s a perfect side dish with sweet or smoked ham, pork tenderloin or ribs!
- Versatile – add whatever you like to it
- Keto-friendly!
What’s an English pea?
English peas are also known as “green peas,” “garden peas, or “sweet peas.” They are not the same as snap peas or sugar snap peas.
The primary difference is the pods. A green pea pod is waxy, fibrous, and non-edible where a snap or sugar pea pod is softer and edible.
This dish might not be a widespread Southern thing, but it is very common in Texas–this is a great side dish and we serve this green pea salad it every Easter with the other Southern side dishes like Southern potato salad, Pineapple Cheese Casserole, Maple Baked beans and yeast rolls. We often serve it with old fashioned salmon patties, too!
Here’s what you’ll need
A bag of frozen sweet peas, and a simple mixture of mayonnaise, red onion, sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese, apple cider vinegar, salt & pepper. That’s it!!!
You’ll want to make sure you use “frozen peas,” “frozen English peas,” “frozen green peas” or “frozen sweet peas.”
I’ve never made english pea salad with canned peas – always frozen. Canned peas have been parboiled and are in a salty brine which not only darkens the color of the peas, but it also gives a “metallic” flavor. I recommed using frozen peas for best results.
How to make English Pea Salad
This is a quick overview of how to make old fashioned English pea salad. See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions.
- Rinse the frozen peas in cold water and drain, then chop the red onion and cube the cheese. Put all that in a large mixing bowl.
- In a smaller mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream and apple cider vinegar, pour half of the dressing over the peas and fold in the dressing; add more of the dressing if you want. Taste for salt and pepper.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 15 minutes. (I think it actually tastes better after its rested a couple of hours or even served the next day!)
- When you’re ready to serve, just let it sit out on the counter about 10 minutes or until it’s almost room temperature. Stir it up with a spatula and serve with a slotted spoon!
Recipe tips
- If you’re short on time, make the dressing ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge 1-3 days in advance. On the day of serving, just rinse the peas, add the sauce and let sit in the fridge a bit.
- Fresh peas (or canned peas) do not work in this recipe. They turn to mush. Do not ask me how I know this.
Serving suggestion
Serve English pea salad slightly chilled. If you serve this in the summer months (at an outdoor picnic or barbecue), then serve it on a bowl of ice.
Variations for Southern cold pea salad
Even though this recipe is delicious as written, you can always add in your own stuff. Some people like to add the following to this classic salad:
- Diced red bell pepper
- Drained pimentos
- Tiny bits of radish
- Bits of salty bacon or dried real bacon bits
- Hard boiled egg (if you add boiled egg to this old fashioned English pea salad, fold the sliced boiled egg after you’ve added the creamy dressing)
- Dill weed
- Green onion
- Pickle relish
- Celery – this gives the pea mixture a slight crunch!
- Garlic powder
Storage and make ahead
Store pea salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The best way to make this in advance is the make the tangy dressing and store it in a Mason jar in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve the salad, thaw the frozen peas, add the sauce and let it rest in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 30 minutes so that the flavors can marry.
FAQ’s
Freezing is not recommended because the mayonaise separates and changes the texture.
For best results, frozen sweet peas are best for this recipe. Fresh peas tend to turn mushy and canned sweet peas have been lightly blanced and stored in a brine which affects their flavor and color.
Based on USDA recommendations, if the salad is in a moderate temperature it can safey sit out for up to 2 hours. If the salad is served in 90°heat or more, it should be refrigerated within one hour.
Place the serving bowl in a larger bowl full of chopped ice. Replenish the ice every 30 minutes.
This old fashioned English pea salad recipe has been in our family for years. It’s an ideal side dish for Easter ham, fried catfish, potato cakes or salmon patties.
Related recipes
- Southern Tuna Salad
- Best Chicken Salad Croissants
- Deviled Ham Spread
- Southern Egg Salad
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Marinated Cucumber Tomato Salad
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment! I love to hear from you! Thank you!
Old Fashioned English Pea Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz sweet peas , frozen, rinsed and thawed
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup red onion chopped
- ¾ cups cheddar cheese cubed
- salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Rinse, drain and thaw frozen sweet peas12 oz sweet peas
- Add peas, cheese and onion to a large bowl12 oz sweet peas, ¾ cups cheddar cheese, ¼ cup red onion
- Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and vinegar in a small bowl; fold this mixture into the peas⅓ cup mayonnaise, ⅓ cup sour cream, 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- Taste for salt and peppersalt and pepper
- Cover and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes
- When ready to serve, let the salad sit out a few minutes; stir and serve
Notes
- Add one chopped boiled egg or cooked bacon crumbles (if you’re adding hard boiled eggs, add them after the pea salad has rested in the refrigerator for awhile)
- Drained pimento slices
- Finely chopped red bell pepper
- Sprinkle a little dill weed in the salad
This is a delicious easy recipe for any summer occasion….it is so flavorful and the appearance is so advertising
I put 1-2 chopped boiled eggs, chopped ham (substituting bacon) and raisins in my salad.
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing!
We had this often when I was growing up! Sometimes mama used little LeSeur canned peas and sometimes she used frozen peas! It was enjoyed either way, and even liked by the kids who wouldn’t eat veggies!!
Reminds me of my mom’s pea salad…thanks!
Using frozen peas is great…can enjoy year round!
This is really good!!!