Pea Salad Recipe with Red Onions and Cheese {Video} (2024)

4.73 from 458 votes

ByTrisha HaasPublished: Updated:

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Pea Salad with red onions and cheese is a quintessential recipe for spring and summer with its creamy texture and taste. And talk about an easy and colorful salad recipe!

If you can mix, you can make, which means this classic pea salad is done in mere minutes to free you up for summer fun.

Pea Salad Recipe with Red Onions and Cheese {Video} (1)

Why you should make Pea Salad!

Not that you would know it by the temperature outside in most of America, but summer IS on its way. That means tons of time at the beach, parks, picnics – which also means plenty of hungry friends and family.

This delicious summer salad dish is so creamy that it’s a perfect combination with bacon, red onions, and cheese that will have your guests begging for more. Always on the table in the south, this refreshing salad recipe is the one you grew up with; flavorful and easy to indulge.

Plus you won’t believe how easy it is to make! With no baking or cooking needed, this simple salad can be ready to walk out the door quite quickly.

Salad Ingredients

Separately these ingredients are delicious but together they make a perfect side dish that will complement all your upcoming meals!

This cold dish is fantastic to be served with fried chicken, BBQ, grilled meats, or even just have in a bowl as a main dish (which is what I do).

  • frozen peas – Frozen peas hold up texture (unlike canned peas). Simply remove from freezer and let thaw then drain excess moisture before using in salad.
  • bacon – Bacon should be cooked through before adding to salad. In quick cases its fine to use pre-made bacon (think microwave bacon).
  • cheese – shredded cheddar cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese work the best in this salad. Many people prefer CHUNKS of cheddar cheese and that is a style choice that is fine.
Pea Salad Recipe with Red Onions and Cheese {Video} (2)
  • diced red onion – Red onion is a fairly strong ingredient. If you like red onion but do not want it to overpower the pea salad, soak red onion pieces in cold water for up to 30 minutes, drain, dry, and then add to salad.
  • salt and pepper
  • bacon bits – Totally optional, but bacon bits can be added on top for additional crunch and presentation.

How to make Pea Salad with Cheese

  1. In a large mixing bowl combine thawed peas, bacon, onions, both kinds of shredded cheese, mayonnaise and mix well so that all your ingredients are covered.
  2. Season with salt and black pepper and mix a few more times, adding a dash here or there to make sure you get full coverage of your spices.
  3. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to make sure flavors and creamy homemade dressing blend and are cold upon serving.
  4. Mix green pea salad well one more time before dishing out.
Pea Salad Recipe with Red Onions and Cheese {Video} (3)

FAQ’s

Do you have to thaw frozen peas?


Yes, it’s best to thaw frozen pieces to remove excess moisture in the salad. We tend to leave the frozen bag in the fridge the day before we have to make the salad. However, if you need to make the salad immediately simply remove peas from the bag and rinse with cold water until defrosted.

How long does creamy pea salad last?


Pea salad is one of my favorite recipes so I would say it only lasts a day! But this flavorful salad can be stored and eaten for up to 3 days (as with most foods) in the fridge. Because of the shelf life, it’s fine to make a day ahead of time to serve.

How to store cold pea salad.


Old fashioned pea salad can be stored for quite a few days just fine in the fridge. Seal in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If pea salad is a little dry from the cold, add in a bit of mayo (a little at a time) till creamier consistency. Please note that any bacon in the salad will likely go soft in the salad.

Can canned peas be used in pea salad?

No. You do not want to use canned peas in this salad.

Frozen peas are simply blanched and canned peas are typically soaked in water and are too soft for a servable salad. Save canned peas for other side dish recipes.

Pea Salad Recipe with Red Onions and Cheese {Video} (4)

Recipe Variations

  • Try adding more bacon, cut up tomatoes, green onions, or even make your pea salad with boiled eggs (English Pea Salad).
  • Substitute bacon with turkey bacon.
  • Add in ham our creamy ham and pea salad recipe does.
  • You can make pea salad with pasta too!
  • Make it Vegetarian: Just remove the bacon!
  • Change up the cheese: Add chunks of cheddar cheese (over shredded) or if you are the adventurous type when it comes to altering classic recipes, change up for a more unique cheese like blue cheese, goat cheese, or feta cheese.
  • Looking for a complimentaryfruit saladto take with you? TryOld Fashioned Ambrosia Salad– just like grandma used to make!
  • Or if you need your salad a little more savory, I love thisAmish Macaroni Salad.
  • You can always go with old food staples likecucumber feta tomato salad(which is so fresh and light) or favorites likeCaprese salad with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, but everyone loves agorgeous greenpea salad.
  • Need a hot side dish option? It’s so hard to pick what green veggie is my favorite because I like so many, but nothing makes me happier than homemade creamed peas.Make sure you grab that recipe too!

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Pea Salad Recipe with Red Onions and Cheese {Video} (9)

Pea Salad Recipe with Red Onions and Cheese {Video} (10)

4.73 from 458 votes

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Pea Salad with Red Onions and Cheese

Author Trisha Haas – Salty Side Dish


Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Pea Salad is a quintessential recipe for spring and summer and so easy. Peas, Cheese, and slices of bacon make this a flawless cold salad side dish for outdoor summer servings. Highly rated, this classic pea salad is simply one of the most highly rated pea salad recipes on Pinterest! The perfect creamy dressing just wraps the peas up in love and every bite contains a bit of perfect red onion and cheese. Optionally, pea salads are so complementary to bits of crunchy bacon as a topping. Love more cheese? Instead of shredded, simply add bite sized cubes of cheese. No matter how you enjoy pea salad, this recipe is perfect for potlucks, parties, and holidays as the most important side dish.

Ingredients

  • 16 oz. frozen peas thawed and drained
  • 6 strips bacon cooked and cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup diced red onion
  • 1 cup real mayonnaise
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl combine thawed peas (drained of any excess water), cut bacon, diced red onions, shredded cheese, and mayonnaise, and mix all pea salad ingredients together well.

  • Season salad with salt and pepper and mix again to incorporate seasonings.

  • Refrigerate pea salad 4 hours or overnight. Mix well before serving to prevent settling.

  • Chill for at least 4 hours and keep cold prior to serving.

Video

Notes

Do you have to thaw frozen peas?

Yes, it’s best to thaw frozen pieces to remove excess moisture in the salad. We tend to leave the frozen bag in the fridge the day before we have to make the salad. However, if you need to make the salad immediately simply remove peas from the bag and rinse with cold water until defrosted.

How long does creamy pea salad last?

Pea salad is one of my favorite recipes so I would say it only lasts a day! But this flavorful salad can be stored and eaten for up to 3 days (as with most foods) in the fridge. Because of the shelf life, it’s fine to make a day ahead of time to serve.

How to store cold pea salad.

Old fashioned pea salad can be stored for quite a few days just fine in the fridge. Seal in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If pea salad is a little dry from the cold, add in a bit of mayo (a little at a time) till creamier consistency. Please note that any bacon in the salad will likely go soft in the salad.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 481mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g

Nutritional Disclaimer: The nutritional data provided here is auto-calculated and intended for your convenience only. As it’s generated via automation, its accuracy may be compromised. For precise nutritional insight, please compute the values utilizing the actual ingredients in your recipe through your chosen nutrition calculator or application.

Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying of full recipe to any social media is prohibited.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Make sure to follow Salty Side Dish on Pinterest and rate the recipe here and make sure to leave a comment below!

4.73 from 458 votes

Pea Salad Recipe with Red Onions and Cheese {Video} (2024)

FAQs

Can you put raw red onions in a salad? ›

I have used raw onions in salads. I refer red onions. If the onions are too strong in the flavor,, you can remove the bite by rinsing them with water and pat the onion dry.. Yellow onions are sweeter than white onion, green onion(or shallot) is easy to use.

What is pea salad made of? ›

To make your own easy pea salad, you only need a handful of ingredients including: frozen green peas, cubed cheddar cheese, diced red onion, and crumbled cooked bacon. For the homemade dressing, you'll need sour cream, mayonnaise, granulated sugar, red wine vinegar, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. That's it!

Is onion good in salad? ›

You can use onions in countless ways, and we think every recipe is better with a bit of onion. But, there is one type of food that really allows our onions to shine: salads! Besides being one of the healthiest food choices you can make, salads are versatile and perfect for any occasion.

Why soak red onions in water? ›

Soak them for at least 15 minutes (longer is even more beneficial), properly drain, and eat away! Submerging them in cold water takes away that intense, sharp bite from the raw onion. The cold water helps the enzyme that causes onions to have their pungent flavor to leach out.

How to prep red onions for a salad? ›

Just peel and slice the red onion as called for in your recipe, then submerge them in a bowl of cold or ice water. Let them sit for at least ten minutes, stirring once or twice, before draining and using them in your recipe. For added flavor, you can also soak the onions in lime juice, lemon juice, or vinegar.

Why do you put baking soda in peas? ›

A teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda can be added to the peas whilst soaking or cooking (to speed up the softening process), but you can still achieve that perfect creamy texture with nothing but water - unless your water is especially hard.

Why do you soak split peas before cooking? ›

To Soak or Not to Soak

It's true, soaking peas overnight in water shortens their cooking time. But soaking isn't entirely necessary. Split peas cook relatively quickly. Unsoaked peas take from 1 to 2 hours of simmering; soaked peas take about 40 minutes.

What is the difference between snap peas and regular peas? ›

Sugar snap peas are a cross between snow and garden peas. The pods of snow peas are flatter with small, premature peas, whereas sugar snap peas are more rounded. Both have an identical nutritional profile and very similar flavors although sugar snap peas tend to be sweeter and more flavorful.

What is the difference between snap beans and peas? ›

Peas are generally round while beans have a wider variety of shapes. Color also varies considerably with non-pea beans. Peas don't usually vary that much in color – they're mostly green. The stem of a pea plant is typically hollow, while beans have a solid stem structure.

How much sugar is in pea salad? ›

Per ½ cup serving: 144 calories; 6.8g total fat (3.1g saturated, 0.1g polyunsaturated, 0.0g monounsaturated); 277mg sodium; 11.9mg cholesterol; 11.6g carbohydrate; 4.0g fiber; 4.1g sugars; 10g protein; 237.4mg potassium.

Are red onions best for salads? ›

These onions are colorful and spicy-to-mild flavor. Because of their bright color and crispy texture, they're great for salads, salsas, and other fresh recipes. They're also excellent sliced for sandwiches.

Should I use white or red onions in salad? ›

Red Onions: The salad onion. While you can cook with it, it's less overpowering than white or yellow onions, making it ideal for uses that require raw onion. The colour fades as you cook them. Great for Greek salad, on burgers, etc.

How to sweeten red onion for salad? ›

You can get rid of the strong taste by soaking sliced onions in ice water for 20 to 30 minutes or by sprinkling them with an acid such as vinegar. Onions soaked in ice water will get very crisp while those sprinkled with vinegar will soften a bit, but they will lose the strong taste and become sweeter.

Is it OK to eat red onion raw? ›

You should eat onions raw rather than cooked to get the most sulfur compounds from them. Both quercetin and organic sulfur compounds found in onions are known to boost insulin production, making them a helpful vegetable choice if you have diabetes.

Are red onions healthy to eat raw? ›

Raw onions retain their full complement of vitamins and antioxidants, making them a slightly healthier option if you're looking to maximize your intake of nutrients. However, cooking onions can break down some of their hard-to-digest fibers, making them easier for some people to eat.

Is red onion edible raw? ›

Onions are a fresh and versatile staple in kitchens around the world. They can be cooked, fried, eaten raw, and more. To incorporate onions into your diet, you can try: using them in soups such as French onion soup.

What is the best onion to eat raw in a salad? ›

Red Onions: The salad onion. While you can cook with it, it's less overpowering than white or yellow onions, making it ideal for uses that require raw onion. The colour fades as you cook them. Great for Greek salad, on burgers, etc.

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