Veganized Midwestern Green Pea & Cheddar Salad

Here is a salad that pleases both the eye and the palate. Green pea and cheddar salad is a classic from the U.S. midwest — the kind of recipe that’s served at potlucks and other gatherings. In its original form, it’s by no means vegan (and sometimes not even vegetarian), but this cozy plant-based version of this works exceptionally well.

I enjoyed this dish several times while traveling through some of the U.S. heartland states while on a cross-country road trip quite a while back — including in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Iowa. Back then I was still vegetarian, and so the regular mayo and dairy cheese were still ingredients I could eat.  

While I couldn’t find anything about the history of this salad, I did see lots of discussions online about the nostalgic aspect of it — for example, how people’s grandmothers would bring it to gatherings in a Tupperware. Mostly, I became aware that people are still making and loving it!

Ingredients: The constant ingredients in the original recipe are the peas, cheese, and mayo. Sometimes celery is added, sometimes onion, sometimes both (I like the crunch of both of these). Sometimes bacon is added, and I find that the tang of the vegan bacon (I prefer tempeh bacon, which has a lot of protein) contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the peas.

In some recipes, only mayo is used, in others, a combination of mayo and sour cream — both of which have vegan counterparts that are easy to swap in.

The ingredients in this recipe before the mayo and sour cream are added — already looking so tempting!

Photos by Hannah Kaminsky, BittersweetBlog.com.

Explore more …

• Tasty Recipes for Using Frozen Green Peas
• Spring Pasta Salad with Asparagus & Peas
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Yield: 4 to 6

Veganized Midwestern Green Pea & Cheddar Salad

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A veganized version of the classic midwestern green pea & cheddar salad, this one swaps in dairy-free cheese, mayo, and sour cream as well as tempeh bacon.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• Olive oil cooking oil spray or a little olive oil
• 5 to 6 strips vegan bacon (preferably tempeh bacon)
• 16-ounce bag green peas, completely thawed
• 1 cup vegan cheddar shreds, or vegan cheddar block cheese, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 medium celery stalks, diced
• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup vegan sour cream (or just use more mayonnaise)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup finely diced red onion
• Pinch of salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Spray or very lightly coat a skillet with cooking oil spray or olive oil. When hot, add the vegan bacon strips and cook on both sides until golden brown. Remove from the heat; when cool enough to handle cut into approximately 1/2-inch squares.
2. Microwave or blanch the peas briefly — not more than a minute or two, just to make sure they taste cooked, but let them stay nice and green. Rinse under cool running water until at room temperature. Drain well.
3. Combine the bacon and peas with the remaining ingredients in a serving bowl. Enjoy at once.

Explore lots more plant-forward salads & sides.