Sweet Pea Salad Recipe

Old fashioned pea salad is a classic side dish, especially this time of year. With holidays like Easter coming up, as well as summer barbecues, I thought I would share a sweet pea salad recipe to make at home! So easy in fact, it is only 4 ingredients, 6 if you count salt and pepper. Canned or frozen peas, crunchy celery and pimentos, and a lightly seasoned mayo dressing are all a part of this simple pea salad.

Looking for main dishes to serve with this sweet pea salad recipe? Try pairing it with these Mini Onion Smash Burgers or marinated steak bites using this Bourbon Brown Sugar Marinade. Interested in other salads to pass around the table? This BLT Salad is a fun twist on the classic sandwich, and Mexican Street Corn Salad is the perfect way to use fresh summer sweet corn.

What are the ingredients for pea salad?

• green peas
• celery
• mayo
• jarred pimentos
• salt and black pepper

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An optional ingredient that I sometimes add is very finely diced yellow onion or red onion! Some other common add-ins are bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and apple cider vinegar. My mom's pea salad recipe is super simple (just the way I like it), but feel free to try out different ingredients and see how you like them!

How do you make sweet pea salad?

• Grab a medium sized mixing bowl and add thawed peas (or canned peas that have been well drained)
• Add diced celery, well-drained pimentos, mayo, salt and pepper.
• Stir well and serve chilled.

Can you use canned peas?

Of course! In fact, this recipe is my mom's, who originally got it from her mom, and they both used canned peas. I love it that way! The brand my mom suggests is La Sueuer, Very Young Small Sweet Peas. I personally always have frozen peas on hand so that is what I used.

Can you make this salad ahead of time?

Yes, you can. As a rule of thumb, any type of mayo based salad will generally get better after sitting a little while and allowing the flavors to marinate. Also this is a cold pea salad so it will be going into the fridge anyway, before serving. I wouldn't make it more than 24 hours before you plan to serve it though, so the celery stays crunchy!

Is this a healthy pea salad?

I would say so! Peas are a great source of fiber, pimentos and celery both have vitamins A, K, and C, and a little mayo is ok in moderation. If you would like to make this a green pea salad without mayo, you could try supplementing in sour cream instead. The flavor will be slightly tangier, and you may need to thin it out a bit to get the correct consistency.