Ingredients:

  • cups Frozen Sweet Peas
  • slices Crispy Cooked Bacon (crumbled)
  • /4 cup Red Onion (finely diced)
  • /2 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese (cubed or shredded)
  • /4 cup Toasted Sliced Almonds or Sunflower Seeds
  • tablespoons Fresh Parsley (chopped)
  • /2 cup Mayonnaise (full fat)
  • tablespoons Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt
  • tablespoon White Wine Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
  • teaspoon Granulated Sugar
  • teaspoon Dijon Mustard
  • /2 teaspoon Salt (or to taste)
  • /4 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper (or to taste)

Instructions:

  1. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil. Blanch frozen peas for 1-2 minutes until bright green. Immediately drain and plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking and retain colour. Drain thoroughly and pat dry.
  2. Cook bacon until perfectly crisp. Drain on paper towels and crumble once cooled.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream/yogurt, vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  4. In the large mixing bowl, gently combine the cooled, dried peas, diced red onion, crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, and parsley.
  5. Pour the dressing over the salad mixture. Fold gently until everything is evenly coated, taking care not to overmix and bruise the peas.
  6. Stir in the toasted almonds/seeds just before serving for maximum crunch, or chill for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to marry before adding the nuts.