Summer Pea Salad

Photo from All Recipes

Sunday dinner was hosted by the Pantry Goat and her hubby this week, and the theme was salads! The funny part is that I had already chosen dessert before I knew the theme, so suddenly I found myself trying to figure out how to bring a "salad" for dessert that wasn't just another fruit salad. Somehow, I managed to pull it off.

For my savory contribution, I brought a pea salad that I've been wanting to make for quite a while. I have a vague memory of my Grandma Spaid making a pea salad with fresh peas from her garden when I was growing up. I can't say for sure that this recipe was anything like hers, but it definitely brought back those memories.

The recipe called for frozen peas, which turned out to be a good thing because I couldn't find fresh peas anywhere. They worked perfectly and kept the preparation simple.

I did have one small challenge with the dressing. The recipe called for wine vinegar, which left me standing in the pantry wondering exactly what kind they meant. Rice wine vinegar didn't seem right, and I didn't have any red wine vinegar on hand (which in hindsight is what they mean), so I substituted apple cider vinegar. It gave the dressing a little more tang than I expected, so I added a touch more sugar to balance things out. In the end, it worked just fine.

The dressing reminded me a lot of a classic coleslaw dressing—creamy, slightly sweet, and just tangy enough to keep things interesting. Combined with the peas, it made for a simple but satisfying side dish.

Overall, this is a great summer salad to bring to a potluck, picnic, or backyard barbecue. It's easy to make, travels well, and offers something a little different from the usual pasta or potato salads. Just remember that it contains mayonnaise, so don't leave it sitting out in the sun for too long!

I may or may not have a small bowl set aside to have with my lunch today.

Summer Pea Salad

Recipe from All Recipes

Serves 10

Salad:

• 2 (6 ounce) packages frozen peas, thawed
• 1 pound cooked bacon, chopped
• 1 c golden raisins
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• ½ c sunflower seeds

Dressing:

• 1 c mayonnaise
• 2 T wine vinegar
• ¼ tsp white sugar, or to taste

Toss peas, bacon, raisins, Cheddar cheese, onion, and sunflower seeds together in a large bowl. Stir mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar together in a small bowl; drizzle over the salad and toss to coat.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.