Easy English Pea Salad - No Eggs Or Bacon

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This farm style, old fashioned English Pea Salad recipe is simple, easy to make, and colorful. With fresh peas, crunchy vegetables, and a creamy bright dressing this will become your favorite salad… Absolutely no cooking time, no eggs, and no bacon required.

A delicious and fresh side dish for Easter dinner, baby showers, barbeques, church picnics, and even meal prepping.

For more salads straight from the farm, try my creamy Celery Salad or this Lemon Orzo Salad with Feta!

Creamy and fresh English Pea Salad in a bowl, topped with black pepper, salad spoons on the side for serving.

Why You Will LOVE This English Pea Salad Recipe:

A ONE BOWL, EASY CLEAN UP RECIPE
10 SIMPLE INGREDIENTS AND ONLY 10 MINUTES TO MAKE
NO HARD BOILED EGGS OR BACON: I like to keep my pea salad light, bright, and fresh. I also think adding the bacon and hard boiled eggs is such a pain in the butt, this is why my English Pea Salad does not have them. I did add some Dijon mustard and a little more mayonnaise to make up for the missing creamy element, and celery for the missing crunch.

What Is An English Pea?

English Peas are the same thing as garden peas you find canned or frozen at the grocery store. The peas are harvested once they become plump enough to bust open their pods. Their pods are not edible like sugar snap peas or snow peas either.

For this recipe you can use fresh peas from the garden that need to be shelled, frozen peas, or canned peas. The peas from the garden obviously taste the best but frozen peas are the next best option. Canned peas work as well but they tend to mush up and break down easier than the other options.

Spoon in a large bowl of colorful pea salad.

Let’s Make It Together! Watch My Video Tutorial:

English Pea Salad Ingredients

ENGLISH PEAS (GARDEN PEAS): Feel free to use fresh, frozen, or canned. I used frozen peas because there is no cooking or blanching required.
RED ONION: Dice it in very fine pieces so it does not overwhelm the other ingredients.
CELERY: This is to add extra crunch to your salad.
CHEDDAR CHEESE: Use either pre-cubed cheese or buy a large block and cube it up yourself.
MAYONNAISE: This is the base of our dressing so make sure you are using a high quality mayo. I like to use Duke’s.
LEMON JUICE: Freshly squeezed is the best but you can also use apple cider vinegar. Don’t leave this out, the acid element helps cut through the richness and adds freshness to the salad.
DIJON MUSTARD: Adds creaminess and bold flavor. Brown mustard is another great option if you do not have Dijon.
GRANULATED SUGAR: A little sugar to cut through the acid, and don’t worry your salad won’t taste sweet.
SALT AND PEPPER: Essential in any recipe.

Ingredients. English peas, cheddar cheese, celery, red onion, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, lemon juice, granulated sugar, salt and pepper.

How to Make English Pea Salad

This is a quick overview of how to make this salad, the recipe card below will have all the details.

THAW THE FROZEN PEAS: Place the peas in a large colander and run them under very cold water until thawed but firm. Set aside and let the water drain from the peas.
PREPARE MIX INS: Finely dice the red onion and celery (so they are the same size as the peas), cube the cheddar cheese, fry up and crumble the bacon.
MIX DRESSING: In a large salad bowl whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, dijon mustard, granulated sugar, salt, and pepper.
COMBINE SALAD: Add the mix ins to the dressing and toss gently until well coated and combined.
CHILL: This time allows the salad to meld together and build in flavor. It should be chilled for at least 4 hours or overnight if possible.
SERVE

PRO TIP: Double or triple this recipe. I guarantee you will be wishing you did. In the recipe card toggle the option to 2X or 3X to scale the recipe up.

Storing Information

Any leftover English Pea Salad you have should be stored in an airtight container and in the refrigerator. It is best eaten within 3 to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe, once thawed it will be a runny and mushy mess. To liven up your leftovers, drain off any excess liquid and then add a small amount of dressing or mayonnaise back into the salad.

English Pea Salad in a large bowl topped with salt and pepper. Wood serving salad spoons on the side.

Variations

Here are a few fun ways to spice up your English Pasta Salad even more:

MAKE IT SOUTHERN: Add 4 slices of crumbled bacon and 4 hard boiled eggs to make this a Southern Pea Salad. I like to keep it light, bright, and fresh.

TOSS IN OTHER VEGETABLES: bell peppers, scallions or green onions, radishes, carrots, cucumbers, etc.

SEASON WITH HERBS: try this salad with freshly minced dill or parsley.

ADD PASTA: Make this an English Pea Pasta Salad! Use small shapes like elbow macaroni, bow tie, orzo, or ditalini.

LOOKING FOR A THINNER DRESSING? Add more lemon juice or a splash of buttermilk to thin it out.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Is English Pea Salad healthy?

My recipe for English Pea Salad is healthier than most because it does not include eggs or bacon. It also has extra veggies thrown in there (always a plus). A rough calculation of the nutrition showed a 1/4 cup serving is about 150 calories.

Can you eat green peas raw?

Technically yes, but peas that grow in inedible pods should be cooked prior to eating. Typically frozen and canned peas you buy at the store are already cooked, so no worries there. If you are using garden peas or fresh peas from the farmers market, those should be cooked for this salad.

Do you cook the peas for a pea salad?

If you choose to use frozen or canned peas, no. If you are using fresh peas from the garden then they should be boiled for 3 to 5 minutes and immediately thrown in cold water. They tend to be tough and need a little bit of cooking to help soften them.

Spoon in a large bowl of colorful pea salad- green peas and celery, purple red onion, and orange cheddar cheese.

More Fresh Vegetable Recipes You Might Enjoy:

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English Pea Salad

Elizabeth Swoish

Looking for a delicious and easy side dish? You will love this creamy, old fashioned, fresh English Pea Salad recipe with celery, red onion, and cheese.

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Course Salad, Side Dish

Servings (1/4 cup servings)

Calories 150 kcal

INGREDIENTS

24 ounces peas - frozen (you can use can/ drained or fresh/ blanched peas)
1 cup cheddar cheese - in small 1/4" cubes
½ cup celery - chopped into pea sized bites
½ cup red onion - chopped into pea sized bites
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice - fresh (about 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Place frozen peas in a large colander. Run them over cool water for a few minutes or until thawed (yet firm). Set aside and allow the excess water to run off the peas.
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, dijon mustard, granulated sugar, salt, and black pepper.
Add the peas, cubed cheddar cheese, chopped celery and red onion.
Toss the salad until everything is well coated and combined.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours.
Remove from the refrigerator and lightly toss prior to serving.

VIDEO

RECIPE NOTES

Storing Information:

Refrigerated, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days.
Freezing this salad is not recommended.