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During my recent move, I came across a treasure chest of my grandmother, Nonnie’s, old recipe cards. My Aunt Leigh inherited them when my grandmother passed away when I was 12. Leigh gave them to me about two years ago when she saw me working hard on my blog and knew how much I would appreciate that gift.
I packed them up safely while our home was being remodeled and while unpacking I got so excited to have them back in my possession. So I sat down over the weekend with a cup of coffee and sorted them into categories. Seeing the mix of handwritten and typewriter index cards filled with recipes that my grandmother loved and wrote down made my heart so happy. With every recipe that I read, I could imagine her sweet little soul standing in the kitchen cooking away for her huge family. She was the best.
One recipe that I never personally tasted while she was alive that intrigued me was her “Pea Salad.” Mainly because… peas are always in my freezer (my girls love them) and there is a pandemic going on. I thought it would be fun to recreate this Southern-Style Pea Salad using what I had on hand + using better-for-you/more modern ingredients. I just can’t imagine throwing in 1/2 cup of Wesson Oil and a cup of sugar into my pea salad, haha!
This Southern-Style Pea Salad is delicious. I questioned her use of pimentos in this recipe but they actually turned out to be my favorite part! I also opted to use coconut sugar for a touch of sweetness, but you can omit to keep this recipe Whole30 — yes, peas are now allowed on Whole30!
The end result is the perfect summer side dish to pair with any BBQ or grilled item! Plus, it’s such a great recipe to make at the beginning of the week and keep around in the fridge for lunches/sides/snacking!!
Southern-Style Pea Salad
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen cut green beans
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup celery, finely diced 1 large stalk
- 4 oz diced pimientos, drained
- 2 tbsp mayo
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar (omit for Whole30)
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped dill
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crisp, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
- Once the water is boiling, add the frozen peas and green beans. Cook until tender, 2- 3 minutes. While the peas and green beans cook, prepare an ice bath (a large bowl of ice water). Strain the boiling water then immediately plunge the tender peas/green beans into the ice bath to stop the cooking process and chill them! This also helps to keep their bight, green color.
- Drain the peas and beans and place into a large bowl. Add the bacon, yellow onions, celery, pimientos, mayo, white vinegar, sugar, dill, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Transfer to the fridge and let chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this recipe!