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Grandma Lois’ Spring Pea Salad is my Mother-in-Law’s recipe that she has brought to every holiday gathering for years. It is a tradition. It would not be a holiday in our house without Lois or her pea salad.
She gave me the recipe to share with you. I love it, not only because it is delicious, but because it is easy to make and can be made ahead of time so you don’t have to worry coordinating the cooking with the rest of the meal.
I made a couple of minor changes in her recipe below. First, instead of white onions I used red onions just to give it a little color. Secondly, I used frozen peas instead of canned. But other than that, I followed the recipe.
I know she is probably going to laugh that her recipe made it onto a cooking blog because she has never liked to cook. But this was her specialty, and her contribution to each holiday dinner.
If you like this recipe, be sure to try my Creamed Peas and Potatoes. It makes a great holiday side dish also.
This recipe is a tradition in our family. What recipes are traditionally part of your family’s holiday dinner year after year?
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 (15-ounce cans) sweet peas (put in refrigerator to get cold overnight), drained
- 1 medium white onion chopped
- 6 sweet pickles drained, diced
- 3 (or 4) hard boiled eggs cooled, peeled, and chopped
- 3 tablespoons Miracle Whip
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- The night before you plan to make the salad (2 nights before serving the salad) place the cans of peas into the refrigerator so they will be cold. The next day, drain the peas very well. It is important that they are well drained. (Note that if you are using frozen peas, thaw first and drain well.)
- The day before serving the salad, prepare the hard boiled eggs, chop the onion, and sweet pickles. In a large bowl mix together the peas, onions, pickles, and eggs. Stir in 2 HEAPING tablespoons of Miracle Whip and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until everything is coated in Miracle Whip and all ingredients are evenly distributed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, until ready to serve.
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Shelby says
I’m not a miracle whip fan for the most part, but there is something about it in a salad that has a sweet tang that I like. Your dish is beautiful!
Marion@Life Tastes Good says
What a beautiful salad!! Pinned and stumbled and all that jazz so I can find it easily!!
Renee's Kitchen Adventures says
This sounds delicious!! I can’t do canned peas though, I’d have to use thawed frozen,but yum! Love that it is one of those recipes that brings back memories of those we loved!
Kathy Clark says
I made this recipe for Christmas, and it was delicious! I used 2 packages of frozen peas. I cooked them on the stove, drained them, and then put them in the refrigerator the night before. I do like Miracle Whip, so I used it. I also used diced pimentos, and I grated the cheese, although I think cheese cubes work better and look prettier if you have the time. I did not use chives or onions, because I do not like them. I used sweet pickle relish instead of sweet pickles, and I used more than 6 pickles worth. The chopped hard boiled eggs give it a good consistency and flavor, and go well with the Miracle Whip, too. So, I rate Lois’s English Pea Salad 5 stars.
Kathy Clark says
I need to add, that 2 packages of frozen peas are probably for a crowd of 12-18 people. Use just one package if you only have about 6 or 7 people for dinner.