Traditional Pea Salad with Sour Cream

If you ask me, pea salad is one of those potluck dishes that never goes out of style.

This creamy side dish brings together sweet peas, crispy bacon, and sharp cheddar in a tangy sour cream dressing. Fresh dill and a bit of red onion add just the right amount of flavor without being too much.

It comes together in minutes with mostly pantry ingredients and frozen peas. The secret is patting those peas dry so the dressing stays thick and coats everything nicely.

It’s a crowd-pleasing side that works for cookouts, family dinners, or any time you need to bring something to share.

What Kind of Peas Should I Use?

For this pea salad, you have a few options that’ll all work great. Frozen peas are probably your best bet – just thaw them completely and pat them dry before mixing them in. Fresh peas are wonderful if you can find them at the farmer’s market, though they do require shelling which takes a bit of time. Canned peas will work in a pinch, but make sure to drain and rinse them well since they tend to be softer and a bit mushier than frozen. Whatever you choose, just avoid cooking the peas for this salad since you want them to have a nice pop and crunch when you bite into them.

Options for Substitutions

This pea salad is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Sour cream: Greek yogurt makes a great substitute if you want a lighter option. Plain yogurt works too, though it’ll be a bit thinner. You can also use all mayonnaise if that’s what you have on hand.
• Mayonnaise: If you’re out of mayo, just use more sour cream or Greek yogurt to make up the difference. The dressing will be tangier but still tasty.
• Peas: Frozen peas work best for this salad – just thaw and drain them well. Fresh peas are fine too, but you’ll need to blanch them first for about 2 minutes in boiling water, then cool them down quickly.
• Bacon: Turkey bacon or even ham cubes can replace regular bacon. For a vegetarian version, try smoked almonds or roasted sunflower seeds for that smoky crunch.
• Red onion: Green onions or shallots work nicely here. If raw onion is too strong for you, try soaking the chopped onion in cold water for 10 minutes before adding it to mellow the flavor.
• Cheddar: Any cheese that melts well and has good flavor works – try Colby, Monterey Jack, or even pepper jack if you like a little kick.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake with pea salad is serving it right after mixing – this salad absolutely needs those 4 hours in the fridge for the flavors to blend together and for the peas to absorb the creamy dressing.

Using frozen peas straight from the freezer will water down your dressing as they thaw, so make sure to thaw them completely and pat them dry with paper towels before mixing.

Undercooking your bacon is another common error that leads to chewy, unpleasant bits in your salad – cook it until it’s crispy, then let it cool completely before crumbling it in.

Finally, don’t add all your salt and pepper at the beginning since the bacon and cheese already add saltiness, and you can always adjust the seasoning right before serving once the flavors have had time to develop.

What to Serve With Pea Salad?

Pea salad is one of those side dishes that fits right in at summer cookouts and potlucks, so it pairs perfectly with grilled meats like burgers, hot dogs, or BBQ chicken. I love serving it alongside other picnic favorites like potato salad, coleslaw, or baked beans for a full spread that everyone can dig into. It also works great as a side for fried chicken or pulled pork sandwiches since the creamy, cool salad balances out richer main dishes. If you’re keeping things simple, just serve it with some cornbread or dinner rolls and you’ve got yourself an easy, satisfying meal.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your pea salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavors actually get better after sitting for a few hours, so it’s great to make the night before a potluck or barbecue. Just give it a quick stir before serving since the dressing might settle a bit.

Make Ahead: You can prep this salad up to a day in advance, which makes it super convenient for parties. If you want the bacon to stay extra crispy, you can mix everything except the bacon, then add it right before serving. The salad will still taste fresh and the textures will be perfect.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1050-1200
• Protein: 34-40 g
• Fat: 65-75 g
• Carbohydrates: 80-95 g

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 3/4 cup sour cream (I prefer Daisy for a thicker texture)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I like Hellmann’s for this classic dressing)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp vinegar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper (freshly ground preferred for more flavor)
• 1 tsp fresh dill, chopped

For the salad:

• 24 oz peas (thawed and patted dry to keep the dressing creamy)
• 1/3 cup bacon
• 1/3 cup red onion (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1/2 cup cheddar

Step 1: Cook the Bacon and Prepare Ingredients

• 1/3 cup bacon
• 1/3 cup red onion
• 24 oz peas
• 1/2 cup cheddar

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 8-10 minutes, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool.

Once cooled, crumble into bite-sized pieces.

While the bacon cooks, finely dice the red onion into 1/4-inch pieces and pat the thawed peas dry with paper towels—this step is crucial because excess moisture will dilute the dressing and make the salad watery.

Shred the cheddar cheese and set all components aside.

Step 2: Build the Creamy Dressing Base

• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp vinegar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp fresh dill, chopped

In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream and mayonnaise until smooth and combined.

Add the sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper, whisking until well incorporated and the sugar has dissolved.

Stir in the fresh dill.

I like to taste the dressing at this point and adjust the seasonings if needed—sometimes a touch more vinegar or salt makes all the difference in brightening the flavor.

Step 3: Combine and Chill

• dressing mixture from Step 2
• cooked bacon, peas, red onion, and cheddar from Step 1

Add the peas, crumbled bacon, diced red onion, and shredded cheddar from Step 1 to the dressing from Step 2.

Gently fold everything together until the salad is evenly coated, being careful not to crush the peas.

Transfer to a serving bowl or storage container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

I find that chilling allows the flavors to meld and the dressing to coat everything beautifully, making each bite taste better than when freshly made.

Traditional Pea Salad with Sour Cream

Delicious Traditional Pea Salad with Sour Cream recipe with step-by-step instructions.

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Servings 7 servings

Calories 1125 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the dressing

• 3/4 cup sour cream (I prefer Daisy for a thicker texture)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I like Hellmann's for this classic dressing)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp vinegar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper (freshly ground preferred for more flavor)
• 1 tsp fresh dill, chopped

For the salad

• 24 oz peas (thawed and patted dry to keep the dressing creamy)
• 1/3 cup bacon
• 1/3 cup red onion (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1/2 cup cheddar

Instructions

 

• Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 8-10 minutes, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Once cooled, crumble into bite-sized pieces. While the bacon cooks, finely dice the red onion into 1/4-inch pieces and pat the thawed peas dry with paper towels—this step is crucial because excess moisture will dilute the dressing and make the salad watery. Shred the cheddar cheese and set all components aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream and mayonnaise until smooth and combined. Add the sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper, whisking until well incorporated and the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the fresh dill. I like to taste the dressing at this point and adjust the seasonings if needed—sometimes a touch more vinegar or salt makes all the difference in brightening the flavor.
• Add the peas, crumbled bacon, diced red onion, and shredded cheddar from Step 1 to the dressing from Step 2. Gently fold everything together until the salad is evenly coated, being careful not to crush the peas. Transfer to a serving bowl or storage container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. I find that chilling allows the flavors to meld and the dressing to coat everything beautifully, making each bite taste better than when freshly made.