Feel free to add tomatoes, green pepper, dill or sweet pickles, pimentos, or water chestnuts to this salad. It’s a versatile recipe that allows you to get creative and tailor it to your preferences. While we enjoy the version above, I personally like to include both bacon and ham in my salad.
Classic Southern Pea Salad
Classic Southern Pea Salad is a creamy, savory dish made with sweet peas, hard-boiled eggs, crispy bacon or ham, and a tangy dressing. It’s a versatile, crowd-pleasing side dish that can be enjoyed at any gathering or as a tasty addition to any meal.
Ingredients
- 1 16- ounce package of frozen sweet peas thawed and uncooked (canned peas can be used as an alternative)
- 2 hard-boiled eggs chopped
- 4 to 6 slices of cooked crispy bacon, crumbled (or 1 cup cooked and chopped ham, optional)
- ½ cup chopped green onion regular onion can be used
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese any type of cheese can be used
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon celery seeds or ½ cup chopped celery
- Dash of cayenne pepper
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
- In a salad bowl, combine the thawed, uncooked peas (I usually thaw them in the microwave and drain), eggs, bacon or ham (or both), onion, cheese, pepper, salt, garlic powder, celery seeds or celery, and cayenne. Stir in the mayonnaise and sour cream. Refrigerate for a couple of hours. This recipe makes 6 to 8 servings.