Creamy Pea Salad

By Becky Hardin

Published Jun 30, 2021

This creamy pea salad is the perfect summer side to serve at your next cookout. Made with sour cream and ranch and topped with crispy bacon, it’s ready to serve in minutes.

bowl of creamy pea salad topped with bacon - 5

Creamy Pea Salad Recipe

Move over pasta and potato salads, this pea salad is the must make side dish for this summer.

Perfectly creamy and cheesy with just the right amount of tang, it’s a great option for picnics and summer BBQs.

Fresh, delicious, and you a can feel good about all the vitamins and minerals your getting from the garden peas!

Be sure to try my Cucumber Salad and Cheesy Broccoli Salad too!

Why you’ll love this Pea Salad recipe:

QUICK AND EASY: Just mix the ingredients together and you are good to go!
SO CREAMY: This pea salad is deliciously creamy, but it’s made without mayonnaise. Instead, we use sour cream and ranch to give it a nice fresh flavor.
MAKE AHEAD : This is a great make ahead side that can be served right from the fridge.

step by step photos for how to make creamy pea salad - 6

How to make Cheesy Pea Salad with Bacon

You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!

Combine the sour cream, ranch and seasonings.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
Chill before serving and top with crispy bacon pieces.

bowl of pea salad with cheese and bacon - 8

up close bowl of pea salad with cheese and bacon - 9

How long does it keep?

Once you have made your creamy pea salad, cover it and refrigerate for an hour to let the flavors develop. It will keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, so it’s a great make ahead option.

Because this salad contains dairy, don’t leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Do you use fresh or frozen peas?

I made this with frozen peas as they are super convenient, but you can use fresh if you have lots to use up! You need to thaw frozen peas before using them, do this quickly by putting them in a fine mesh sieve and running them under cold water for a couple of minutes.

What do you serve it with?

This pea salad is great to serve with all of your cookout favorites. It’s great with seafood, chicken and meats. Try it with:

Grilled Salmon Fillet
Grilled Bruschetta Chicken Caprese
Grilled Flank Steak
Grilled Burgers

Tips!

Thaw the peas fully before mixing them with the other ingredients.
I prefer to use a full fat sour cream, but you can use a low fat one to cut down on calories.
I like to add a little cayenne for some spice, but you can leave this out if you like. Alternatively, feel free to add a little more if you like things spicy!

bowl of creamy pea salad with bacon - 12

This creamy pea salad is a real crowd pleaser. It’s fresh and creamy without being too heavy, and it pairs perfectly with all of your favorite summer mains.

MoreSalad Recipeswe Love

Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad)
Asian Cucumber Salad
Grape Salad
Quinoa Salad
3 Bean Salad

If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy!

Ingredients1x2x3x

▢ ½ cup sour cream
▢ ¼ cup ranch dressing
▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
▢ ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
▢ 4 cups frozen peas thawed
▢ ⅓ cup diced red onion
▢ ¾ cup sharp cheddar cheese cut into small cubes
▢ 6 slices cooked bacon crumbled

Instructions

Combine sour cream, ranch dressing, salt, and peppers in a large bowl; whisk to combine.
Add peas, onion, cheese, and bacon to the bowl. Stir to coat completely.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with some crispy bacon.

Becky’s Tips

Thaw the peas fully before mixing them with the other ingredients.
I prefer to use a full fat sour cream, but you can use a low fat one to cut down on calories.
I like to add a little cayenne for some spice, but you can leave this out if you like. Alternatively, feel free to add a little more if you like things spicy!

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Pea Salad Recipe with Cheese and Bacon

Ingredients

½ cup sour cream
¼ cup ranch dressing
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
4 cups frozen peas thawed
⅓ cup diced red onion
¾ cup sharp cheddar cheese cut into small cubes
6 slices cooked bacon crumbled

Instructions

Combine sour cream, ranch dressing, salt, and peppers in a large bowl; whisk to combine.
Add peas, onion, cheese, and bacon to the bowl. Stir to coat completely.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with some crispy bacon.

Notes

Thaw the peas fully before mixing them with the other ingredients.
I prefer to use a full fat sour cream, but you can use a low fat one to cut down on calories.
I like to add a little cayenne for some spice, but you can leave this out if you like. Alternatively, feel free to add a little more if you like things spicy!

Nutrition

By Becky Hardin

Published Jul 12, 2017

This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.

Essential Grocery List

It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!

It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.

However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.

In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.

I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.

Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List

What to Buy at the Grocery Store

This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.

When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.

So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!