Say goodbye to the heavy, mayo-drenched pea salads of the past — this bright, fresh version is a new favorite.
This recipe comes from my mother-in-law, who served it as a dinner side one evening and instantly won me over. I used to avoid pea salad because of the overly sweet, creamy deli versions, but her light, herb-forward take changed my mind. This is now my go-to pea salad.
Bright, fresh, and full of flavor, this pea salad makes a perfect side for picnics, potlucks, or a simple weeknight meal. It pairs well with many proteins, travels easily, and uses just a handful of common ingredients.
I use fresh peas when they’re in season because they’re especially sweet, but frozen peas work fine too — just thaw them. Use a thick, creamy Caesar dressing for the best texture; store-bought options like Litehouse or Tessemae’s are good choices, or make your own if you prefer. This salad is a sign to plan your next picnic.
My Favorite Pea Salad
- Author: Erica
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Description
Fresh and flavorful, this herb-forward pea salad adds color and nutrition to any picnic spread and is simple to prepare.
Ingredients
- 16 oz fresh English peas (or frozen, thawed)
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup roasted cashews, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2 oz feta, crumbled
- 1/4 cup good-quality Caesar dressing
Instructions
If using fresh peas, blanch them in boiling water for 60 seconds, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. If using frozen peas, simply thaw.
In a large bowl, gently combine the peas, sliced celery, chopped dill and mint, green onions, and chopped cashews. Add the lemon juice, a generous pinch of kosher salt, and several cracks of black pepper. Fold in the crumbled feta and the Caesar dressing, tasting and adjusting seasoning as needed.
Serve chilled or at room temperature. The salad holds up well for picnics and potlucks.
Notes
Either fresh or frozen peas work nicely; I haven’t tested canned peas and suspect the texture will be very different.
To make this vegan, use a vegan Caesar dressing and omit the feta or replace it with a plant-based alternative.
This salad pairs especially well with salmon and roasted red potatoes, but it complements most proteins and picnic spreads.
Nutrition facts are estimates and will vary by ingredient brands and portion sizes.
Nutrition
- Calories: 142
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 121mg
- Fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 5g