This creamy pea salad with bacon is a classic side dish and a great way to use a bag of frozen peas. The peas are mixed with some cheddar cheese cubes, crunchy celery, red onion, and a yogurt-based creamy dressing. A little bacon at the end makes this taste like a real treat.

Serve this pea salad with baked BBQ chicken or juicy baked pork chops. And if you love creamy salads, make sure to check out our creamy cucumber salad.

Creamy pea salad in a glass bowl with wooden salad tongs

Pea Salad with Bacon

If you're a fan of peas (like we are!), then this recipe is for you. It's easy to make, packs well so you can take it to a picnic or BBQ, uses ingredients that you likely have in your kitchen, and goes well with nearly every main dish.

And the combination of peas with the crunchy celery, salty bacon, sharp cheddar, and onions all wrapped in a creamy dressing is irresistible.

How to make pea salad

Making pea salad is very easy. We make ours with frozen peas as we always have them on hand. If you're lucky enough to have some fresh peas, you'll want to boil them for a couple of minutes first.

  1. Thaw the peas under warm running water then drain them well.
  2. Mix the salad ingredients together with some yogurt, a little mayo, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
  3. Cook the bacon until nice and crispy then chop it into pieces. Right before you serve the salad, add the bacon.

Full instructions in the recipe card below.

A close up of creamy pea salad with bacon.

Tips for making the best pea salad

  • Add celery. It's not an ingredient usually found in pea salad, but it gives it the best little crunch.
  • Chop the celery, cheese, and red onion so that they are all roughly the same size.
  • Let the salad rest while cooking the bacon; it will help the flavors blend together.
  • Add the bacon last. Crispy bacon is best in this salad. Add it right before serving so that it doesn't turn soft and chewy.
  • To bring this to a picnic, make the salad up to a day ahead and bring the bacon to mix in before you serve it.

What goes well with pea salad

This is a great recipe as it goes well with so many main dishes. Here are a few of our favorites:

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Serving pea salad with bacon, cheese, and onion.

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Creamy pea salad in a glass bowl with wooden salad tongs

Creamy Pea Salad with Bacon

  • Author: Kristen Stevens
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 8 mins
  • Total Time: 18 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: North American

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Description

This creamy pea salad with bacon is a classic side dish and a great way to use a bag of frozen peas. The peas are mixed with some cheddar cheese cubes, crunchy celery, red onion, and a yogurt-based creamy dressing. A little bacon at the end makes this taste like a real treat. 

Scale

Ingredients

  • 4 cups frozen peas
  • ½ cup diced cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup minced celery
  • ⅓ cup minced red onion
  • ½ cup yogurt
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
  • 4 slices of bacon

Instructions

  1. Place the peas in a colander and run them under water to remove any ice. It's ok if they're not completely thawed. Drain them well and place them in a large bowl with the cheddar cheese, celery, and red onion.
  2. In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour this creamy sauce over the peas and mix well. Set the peas aside on your counter while you cook the bacon – or up to 3 days in your fridge.
  3. In a medium-sized pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy, about 8 minutes. Cool them chop.
  4. Just before serving, mix the bacon into the peas.

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Serving pea salad with bacon, cheese, and onion with the recipe title on top of the picture.