Green Pea Salad with Bacon and Almonds
I’ve eaten a lot of questionable things standing over my kitchen sink at 9 a.m. Until Green Pea Salad with Bacon and Almonds entered my life, I never imagined peas would be one of them.
Peas are not exactly a vegetable that garners love and esteem. More often, they are lumped into categories in the realm of, “things my toddler won’t eat” and “green foods to choke down because they are good for you.” An ardent veggie lover, even I don’t rush to cook up a side of peas for dinner, and if a restaurant offered peas as an option (which I rarely see), I would probably choose an alternative vegetable. Poor peas. No love for you—until now.
Green Pea Salad with Bacon and Almonds has taken peas from “baby food” to “food I cannot stop impulsively shoving into my face and will eat directly from the fridge,” an esteemed category typically reserved for my favorite chocolate chip cookies and Slow Cooker Honey Pulled Pork. Even Ben, who considers peas to be his least favorite vegetable, could not stop eating this healthy green pea salad.
The key to pea irresistibility is the toppings: chopped roasted almonds for warmth and crunch, red onions for bite, and a bit of crispy bacon for smokiness. (I also blame applaud the bacon for this pea salad’s addictive properties.) Vegetarians can obtain a similar effect by omitting the bacon and using smoked almonds instead of the regular roasted almonds called for in the recipe.
At the heart of the salad is a creamy, honey-sweetened dressing. Classic green pea salad calls for gobs of mayo, which completely negates the positive effects of the vegetables (plus, I have a lifelong mayo phobia.) In the mayo’s place, I made an easy, healthy dressing with Greek yogurt, which tastes rich and creamy, but is loaded with protein and calcium. I quickly mixed the yogurt with honey for sweetness and a little apple cider vinegar for balance, tossed it with the peas, and voila! A creamy pea salad that tastes just as decadent as the original, but is filled with good-for-you ingredients. Green Pea Salad with Bacon and Almonds is my current favorite for summer picnics and potlucks, or for an easy, healthy dinner side dish.
I’m sharing this recipe for Green Pea Salad with Bacon and Almonds in collaboration with the American Dairy Association Mideast. June is National Dairy Month (a.k.a. a great reason to treat yourself to some fancy cheese), and the ADA is partnering with bloggers all around the country to create healthy, delectable dairy recipes. Are you ready for this?
If only I could rock aviators like that cow.
Come join the ADA (@ADAMideast) for an evening of recipe ideas, healthy living tips, and summer shenanigans at the National Dairy Month Twitter Party. It’s June 11th from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. EST, and you better believe it’s going to be a moovelous time! (Someone stop me.)
I leave you in peace with the peas, courtesy of Green Pea Salad with Bacon and Almonds.
Green Pea Salad with Bacon and Almonds
Ingredients
- 3 strips bacon — cooked
- 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 16 ounces shelled petite peas — fresh or frozen and thawed
- 1/4 cup whole roasted almonds — roughly chopped
- 1/2 small red onion — finely chopped
Instructions
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If necessary, cook the bacon according to these easy steps. Once cool, chop into small pieces and set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, honey, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add the peas, almonds, and red onion. Toss gently to coat. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Did you try this recipe? I want to see! Follow Well Plated on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #wellplated. I love to know what you are making!
For more National Dairy Month inspiration, check out these fantastic recipes from a few of my favorite bloggers and follow the ADA Mideast on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
- Greek Yogurt Pops, by Dessert for Two
- S’Mores Ice Cream Sandwich, by Lemons for Lulu
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Fruit Dip, by The Lemon Bowl
- Chorizo Croque Monsieur, by Climbing Grier Mountain
- Java Chip Milkshake, by Inside BruCrew Life
- Pesto Yogurt Chicken Kebabs, by Garnish with Lemon
- Avocado Bean Dip, by Shugary Sweets
The ADA Mideast compensated me for my time to create this recipe and post. As always, all opinions are my own.
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
About Erin Clarke
I’m fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food taste incredible. Wearer of plaid, travel enthusiast, and firmly convinced that sweets and veggies both deserve a place at the table. MORE ABOUT ERIN…
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Pea lovers everywhere applaud you, Erin! I fall into the pea lover category, so set me up with a bowl and a spoon so I can dig into this goodness!
I think this would make me majorly crave some peas too! I love all the textures and flavors going on here and that creamy Greek yogurt dressing–genius!
First off: these photos?!?!! I’m so hungry!!
Second: I love peas. I haven’t made a pea salad in forever. I’m off to make one now :)
Peas are finally in season here and I am so excited!! Nothing beats fresh peas. Love this dressing!
This is a new esteemed category for peas!! Totally love the toppings and that dressing.
Dude, I love pea salads. And this salad is perfect for picnics! Love!
I love pea salad. And I love that you have bacon in there ;)
YES, love that you made something with green peas! They definitely don’t get enough love! I can rarely cook with them because both my mother and grandmother pick them out of their food like toddlers haha! Awesome that you didn’t use mayo here, greek yogurt is definitely a great substitute. Pinning this one, sounds like a must try! Thanks, girl! Happy Monday :)
What is not to love about this recipe? I am seriously making this this week.
It’s got Bacon. Peas. Almonds. All the winners are included. I especially like that red onion you added for “bite” as you phrased it.
Perfect for everyday or a picnic day. Lovely. Thanks for sharing!!
But now you’re getting me to seriously wonder why peas on not on the menu at restaurants? Will have to google that! Nothing beats fresh peas. Not the lunch lady high school cafeteria kind, the fresh, homegrown kind. You know which!
Oh, poor peas… they probably got picked last in kickball, too. They are totally the underdog of the veggie world. I’m glad you gave them this all star treatment! Pinning!
I’ve really started to love peas, but it wasn’t until the last year or so that my love affair with peas began. I never really ate them as a child and didn’t buy them as an adult, either. But since my hubby likes them, I decided to be more open where peas are concerned. ;) Love this recipe!
Thanks so much Madison! Your relationship with peas sounds like mine with beets. Our love was slow, but now it’s built to last a lifetime. Um, did I just compare vegetables to a significant other? Yes, yes I think I did.
I’ve been wanting to make a broccoli salad lately and I think this post just inspired me to try a similar lightened up dressing with that. Thanks for the inspiration!
I’m a big fan of peas but you are right about the toddler thing. I can’t get my little one to eat them or try them. Looks like I get this salad to myself.
Love sweet peas, even more than corn! This is my kind of meal, Erin.
Poor peas indeed. I like the little guys but I almost never cook with them. Until now! This salad looks so good! I love that you subbed out the mayo (mayo-phobe here, too). Definitely worthy of being a “kitchen sink” food. :)
i never liked peas until recently. with this dish i will like them even more :)
I am a weirdo who love peas, and this salad looks right up my alley! And a little bacon never hurt a salad’s cause, right? ;)
Erin: I love, love peas, red onions, and almonds; and fresh veggie salads.
Question: My hesitation with this recipe is that I am an “I love mayo” person (olive oil mayo); I really, really do not like Greek yogurt; that and cottage cheese are about the only dairy products I do not like. Can you or perhaps other readers suggest an adjustment(s) to the recipe to use mayo? If not, I will experiment with it myself, but thought I would ask all of the helpful people here. Thanks!
Hi Mary! Do you mind if I ask what it is about Greek yogurt you do not like? I know some people don’t care for the texture, but since it is similar to mayo, I’m guessing that’s not the issue. If it is the tart taste, the honey in the recipe really helps to mellow that. I don’t cook with mayo since I don’t care for it, but because its texture and consistency is similar to Greek yogurt, I think you should be fine with a one-to-one substitution. Again, I’ve never tried the recipe that way so I can’t personally vouch for it, but that is what makes the most sense to me. I hope that was a bit helpful(?).
Hi, Erin: Your comments are very helpful! Yes, my dislike is primarily due to the tart taste. Secondly, the Greek yogurt I have tried (I live near San Francisco, perhaps it is the brands available here) has been much thicker than traditional cow’s milk yogurt, and I did not care for the consistency. However, as you state that the honey offsets the tartness, that should help me. I’m going to try the recipe “as is”. If I don’t care for, I’ll try a direct substitution of mayo and see how that goes. Thanks again!
Mary, I’m so glad I could help! Greek yogurt is much thicker than traditional yogurt, and you will certainly find that with most brands you try. For that reason, you may never enjoy eating it with a spoon, but you might find you feel differently about cooking with it. Also, if you want to embrace your love of mayo and make the pea salad with that, I promise my feelings won’t be hurt :-) One idea to make sure that you don’t end up with a dish you don’t like is to make a scaled-down version of the Greek yogurt dressing, and just take a small taste to see what you think. Then if you like it, you can go big and pour it all over the whole dish. Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, and I would love to hear what you think!
I used to hold my nose and fake death when my mother would force me to choke down peas as a child (I was a bit dramatic). Now, I actually kind of love them. So glad to see them getting some love! Pinning this one to my cookout board!
I’m the odd one who actually like peas a lot, note: I didn’t say love. But I do love the flavors in this salad. Perfect for Summer.
Another great way to get that smoky flavor for vegetarians would be (I am partial here) Penzey’s smoked Spanish paprika. I made deviled eggs once and used this and actually had a vegetarian ask if there was bacon in them.
Martha, smoked paprika is one of my all-time favorite spices, and Penzeys is one of the best places on earth! That is a great tip. Thanks for sharing!
Peas never looked better! Loving the lightened up dressing made with Greek yogurt – smart!
Wow, peas really never looked better! I’m not a huge fan of peas but once you throw bacon and almonds on it…i’m all over them!!! great dish!
Bacon and almonds for LIFE Julie. No veggie stands a chance ;-)
I love peas! We actually eat them all the time – my whole family (even the kids!) love them! :) But baby food peas are nasty. Just wrong.
I’m totally with you on the ‘No-thanks-I’ll-pass-on-the-mayo’ thing. But Greek yogurt … is there a shovel that I can use? Cause I love it!!!
I think my mom used to make a pea salad years and years ago, but I don’t remember ever actually eating it! I can’t wait to make this … pinning quick quick!!
I love peas, but never make them because I’m the only one who likes them. When my kids were little I made them all the time. Now they too reject those poor peas. This salad looks delicious and easy enough to prepare for one :D
Haha I actually love peas and so does my 3 year old so this salad is right up my alley: ) It looks fantastic and I love the flavors in here! Especially the greek yogurt dressing – yum!
Peas can be so amazing when they’re ‘done right’. I love them, particularly with goats cheese, mint or lemon. This combo looks DIVINE. I think the bacon alone would make my husband eat an entire bowlful! I love the idea of the crunch from the almonds and that gorgeous yoghurt dressing. Yum! x
So when I eat this BY THE HANDFUL…you won’t judge? K good. I actually think the.boy lived off of canned peas before I met him. Pretty sure these would put those to shame.
I am totally with you, I never think about green peas. Not my vegetable of choice, but this looks fantastic! I can’t wait to try it!
Creamy dressing, almonds and bacon work pea miracles! Thanks so much :)
I happen to fall into the “I love peas” category. Although not ever at 9 am! I am loving the yogurt dressing mixed with the peas and bacon. This sounds great!!!
haha I do really like peas I just tend to forget about them! But I feel like I wouldn’t forget about them with this recipe! Looks so good! And I love your photos!
Its the bacon…. Bacon makes EVERYTHING taste good. LOL! :) I don’t actually mind peas these days (wont order them in a restaurant or anything) but Ill eat them. As a kid, I avoided them like the plague, they fell into the green foods that taste awful category. This would work a treat as a side, beef daube maybe?!
I made this today…absolutely amazing. Will try with smoked paprika next time!
Sue, comments like this never ever fail to make my day! I am so glad. Thanks for taking time to share your review, and I am sure smoked paprika will be delicious too!
Is this regular or turkey bacon? I actually never had turkey bacon before, so am wondering if one or the other would be best with the peas or if it doesn’t matter :)
Great question! I use only regular bacon because honestly, I don’t care for the taste or texture of turkey bacon, and I feel the real-deal is worth the splurge. If it works better for your diet/tastes, however, you can certainly use turkey bacon instead.
I added 1/4 tsp of smoked paprika, a tad more regular salt on top of the kosher salt in the recipe (adjusted a little to taste), and I couldn’t help myself: about a heaping TSP of mayo (less than what most recipes require anyway!) and it was wonderful. The original recipe is great and I loved it but it was a smidgen too sweet with the baby peas and honey so that is why I made those adjustments and also to make my bf eat it (however, it says something because this man hates most veggies and ate a full serving of this!). Thanks for a great recipe! Unique taste and lovely texture, will make again.
I am so, so excited to hear this! I bet the addition of smoked paprika was absolutely fabulous too. Thank you so much for trying the recipe and for letting me know how it turned out!
I have always wondered what more can I do with peas that is exciting and creative. With almonds and bacon, this is a must-try recipe! Thank you for this!
Thank YOU Jinky. I hope you love it!
What is the nutritional value of a serving? Did I miss that somewhere?
Hi Lana! Regarding nutritional info, this is something that I’ve actually started adding to all of my new recipes, effective January 2016 (you’ll see it in the recipe box at the bottom). Unfortunately, it’s pretty time consuming, so I’m unable to go back and add it to past recipes. If you’d like the nutritional info for any of my older recipes (or really any other recipe or food), you can actually calculate it yourself for free at myfitnesspal.com (this is how I calculate the new recipes on my blog). I’m sorry I can’t give you the information for this exact recipe, but I hope that My Fitness Pal will be a helpful resource for you.