Pea Salad

It makes a huge batch and comes together in just minutes, no cooking required! All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious. What is Pea Salad?

Pea salad is a classic side dish made from sweet peas tossed with ham, cheddar cheese, and red onion, and coated in a creamy and tangy dressing. This salad has a beautiful balance of flavors and is so versatile!

Ingredients for Pea Salad

Here’s what you’ll need to make pea salad:

• Greek Yogurt: Makes the dressing creamy and tangy with fewer calories and fat than sour cream. We highly recommend Greek yogurt over plain yogurt or sour cream for its thicker texture.
• Mayonnaise: Adds richness and creaminess to the dressing.
• White Vinegar: Adds a refreshing tanginess to the dressing to balance the creaminess.
• Parsley: Adds a pop of freshness.
• Frozen Peas: Just as bright and flavorful as fresh, these are a great budget option for this salad.
• Ham Steak: You’ll need a 12 oz. ham steak, or you can use leftover ham or cooked bacon. Vegetarian? No problem! If you leave out the ham, this pea salad is still flavorful and fresh.
• Red Onion: Adds a bit of bite to the recipe and a wonderful crunchy texture, creating a great contrast to the sweet peas.
• Cheddar Cheese: Adds a creamy and salty component to this delicious salad.
• Salt and Pepper: Enhance the overall flavor of the salad.

What Else Can I Add to Pea Salad? This creamy salad is a great recipe to add leftovers to.

We like to add:

• Leftover short noodles, like macaroni or bowties
• Finely diced carrots
• Chopped broccoli florets
• Raisins or other dried fruits
• Vegetarian meat substitutes also work well.

Budget-Saving Tip! If you want to make your money stretch a little bit further, then this is a great recipe to use up any leftover ham that you might have from the holidays.

It will help reduce waste and make the recipe cheaper. That’s a win-win!😊

What to Serve with Pea Salad

This cold pea salad is the ultimate refreshing side dish—it balances out the rich, smoky flavors of BBQ ribs, cools things down next to a big, juicy smash burger, and pairs beautifully with the bold, savory notes of garlic marinated chicken. And if I’m cooking something a little more summery, like sweet peach pork chops, the crisp freshness of the peas makes the whole meal feel light and vibrant.

Nutrition Information

how to make Pea Salad – step by step photos Rinse 4 cups frozen peas in cool water.

Strain and leave out at room temperature. Meanwhile, cut 2 cups ham into small dice cubes, dice 1/2 small red onion, cube 8 oz. cheddar cheese, and mince 1 Tbsp fresh parsley.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup Greek yogurt, 1 Tbsp mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp white vinegar, the minced parsley, and 1 tsp each salt and pepper. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Serve immediately or enjoy all week!

This pea salad is such a beautiful centerpiece to any table! Try These Recipes with Ham Next!

• This Ham and Bean Soup is packed with white beans, colorful veggies, and browned ham for a cozy dinner that feels extra hearty with a hunk of crusty bread.
• Ham and Potato Casserole is an easy comfort food classic that turns simple ingredients into a golden, cheesy bake.
• I love how our Ham Tetrazzini is a budget-friendly way to use up leftover ham while still feeling hearty, creamy, and family dinner-worthy!