Creamy Bacon & Pea Salad
9 months ago

Creamy Bacon & Pea Salad

Twin Cities food blogger greens & chocolate shares her recipe for a new take on this picnic classic.

I’m almost certain some version of a pea salad was present at every BBQ that I attended growing up. Because of this, it feels retro to me, kind of like a strawberry jello pretzel “salad” or a big bowl of macaroni salad.

Regardless of how old-school this recipe is, it continues to be 100 percent delicious. But, of course, I couldn’t help but give it a little bit of an update.

The typical pea salad is made with a lot of mayonnaise. Like, a LOT. The thought kind of makes my stomach turn so I had to do something about it. I replaced most of it with plain Greek yogurt. I use whole milk Greek yogurt because it cuts down on fat and calories without sacrificing any of the flavor or richness. Add a couple spoonfuls of mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar and sugar, and this dressing is still amazing.

Just as it was thirty years ago, this Creamy Bacon and Pea Salad should be at every BBQ this summer. It’s easy to make, can be prepped ahead of time and is a crowd pleaser. It was a hit with my family, even my toddlers, and will be a hit with your family and friends as well!

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients 

1 pound bacon
2 pounds peas, thawed
½ red onion, thinly sliced
8 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 scallions, chopped

Directions:

  1. Heat a large skillet and cook the bacon until crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool. Once cooled, chop up into small pieces.
  2. In a large bowl, add the peas, red onion, cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.
  4. Add the dressing to the pea mixture and stir well to combine. Top with the chopped scallions. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate it until you’re ready to enjoy it.
CREAMY BACON & PEA SALAD