English Pea Salad

5 from 4 votes

An easy, make-ahead side dish that's full of fresh flavor!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Southern

Keyword easy side dish, english pea salad, Pea Salad, Pea Salad Recipe

Prep Time 15

Chilling Time 3

Total Time 3 15

Servings cups (about 16 servings)

Calories 78.6kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup plain Greek style yogurt
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon seasoned salt (such as Lawry's brand)
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ medium yellow bell pepper, finely chopped (about ½ cup total)
¼ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon finely diced red onion
2 teaspoons diced pimentos
2 lbs. shelled fresh peas or 2 packages (16 ounces each) frozen peas, thawed and well drained

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar, basil, sugar, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and ground black pepper. Stir in the bell pepper, cheese, red onion, and diced pimentos.
Gently fold in the peas until everything is coated in the dressing.
Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least 3-4 hours before serving.

Do not cook the peas before making the salad. The creamy dressing helps to tenderize the vegetables as the salad sits and the dressing soaks into the ingredients.

If starting with frozen peas, make sure that they're thawed, drained, and patted dry before adding them to the salad.

For the best flavor and texture, use full-fat mayo (Duke's brand is our favorite) and whole milk plain Greek yogurt.

Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning to suit your taste. You can add more salt and pepper, make it a little spicy with some cayenne pepper, or include extra herbs such as parsley, chives, thyme, or oregano.
Recipe adapted from Country Living magazine.