Pea Salad with Lemon Parmesan Dressing
This Pea Salad is light, bright, refreshing and a delicious addition to any meal, potluck or holiday. It boasts the winning trifecta of sweet peas, crispy, salty bacon and chunks of Gouda cheese along with juicy tomatoes and zippy red onions, all doused in showstopping tangy, creamy Lemon Parmesan Dressing. This pea salad recipe can be thrown together in minutes, or made days in advance, is easy to double/triple, and goes with practically everything! We love serving this side with grilled chicken, cedar plank salmon or marinated flank steak in the summer and garlic butter pork tenderloin or oven fried chicken in the winter.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
PEA SALAD
- 2 16-ounce pkgs. frozen petite peas, thawed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
- 12 ounces thick-cut bacon, cooked and chopped
- 6 ounces Gouda, cubed (may sub cheddar)
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion
LEMON HERB PARMESAN DRESSING
- 3/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup freshly, finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (or 2 tsps dried)
- 1 tablespoon minced chives (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1/2 tsp EACH onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, sugar
Instructions
- Whisk together all of the Lemon Parmesan Dressing ingredients together in a medium bowl; refrigerate.
- Add all of the Salad ingredients to a large bowl EXCEPT the bacon. Add the dressing and stir to evenly combine. The salad is best if allowed to chill for a few hours before serving. When ready to serve, toss in the bacon; serve chilled.
Video
Notes
Storage: Store leftover peas salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, noting that the dressing will become slightly watery over time as the vegetables release some of their moisture.