Here is my take on a classic pea salad recipe. I call it my “Zippy Pea Salad” because it is a traditional pea salad with just a little extra kick. We like things zesty at our house, so I just spiced up the ingredients a bit. Let me first start off by saying that I LOVE pea salad. I love it so much, I could probably write a whole series of different variations of pea salad and never get bored with it. And every time I make it, it always disappears very quickly, not matter what version of it I prepare. Beyond loving the taste, I love that it is super simple to make and that the ingredients are generally cheap to purchase. For example, you can pick up 1 lb bags of frozen peas for less than a dollar at many stores (or even less on sale or when paired with coupons).

Ingredients:

Frozen Peas – 16 oz package (thawed in the refrigerator overnight)
Mayonnaise – 2 Tablespoons
Greek Yogurt – 1 teaspoon (optional)
Red Onion – 1/2 Cup Diced
Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese – about 2-3 ounces (to taste), crumbled
Black or White Ground Pepper – 1/2 teaspoon

Directions:

Drain any excess water from the thawed frozen peas. I find it works well to pat the frozen peas with a paper towel to completely remove any excess liquid, preventing a soggy salad. Believe me, a soggy salad is an unappetizing salad indeed. Add mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, red onion, cheese and ground pepper and mix well. Chill, serve and enjoy quickly because this one will not last long!

Notes: If you don’t have any Greek yogurt around, no worries. I make my zippy pea salad all the time without it and it is still awesome. I find the Greek yogurt just adds a little extra zing. You can also use yellow onions instead of red onion, but I like the extra color the red onion brings to the salad. Also, if you want to add an extra richness to this classic salad, you can also throw in 2-3 pieces of crispy bacon, finely crumbled, very yummy!