Best Irish Pea Salad

Here is my favorite Irish pea salad recipe, with sweet peas, hard-boiled eggs, sharp Irish cheese, and a creamy mayo-based dressing with mustard and fresh thyme.

This pea salad is perfect for summer potlucks and family gatherings. I love making it the night before so all the flavors can blend together in the fridge. It’s always one of the first dishes to disappear at our backyard barbecues!

What Kind of Peas Should I Use?

For this Irish pea salad, frozen peas are actually your best bet and they’re what most people use for this type of recipe. You’ll want to thaw them completely before mixing them in, and there’s no need to cook them since they’re already blanched before freezing. Fresh peas can work too if you happen to have them on hand, but you’ll need to blanch them quickly in boiling water first and then cool them down in an ice bath. Canned peas aren’t ideal here since they tend to be mushy and can make your salad watery, so I’d skip those if possible.

Options for Substitutions

This salad is easy to customize based on what you have in your kitchen:

• Irish cheese: If you can’t find Irish cheese, cheddar works great here. Sharp cheddar gives you a similar tangy bite, or try Colby for something milder.
• Peas: Fresh or frozen peas both work fine. If using frozen, just thaw them first and pat dry. You can also use a mix of peas and diced celery for extra crunch.
• Mayo: For a lighter version, swap half the mayo with Greek yogurt or sour cream. You’ll still get that creamy texture with a bit of tang.
• Relish: Sweet or dill relish both work depending on your taste. You can also use finely chopped pickles if that’s what you have on hand.
• Peppers: Bell peppers add nice color and crunch, but you can use whatever color you prefer – red, yellow, orange, or green all work well.
• Mustard: Yellow mustard is traditional, but Dijon or whole grain mustard will add a different flavor profile if you want to switch things up.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake with pea salad is skipping the onion soaking step, which removes the harsh bite and leaves you with a milder, sweeter flavor that won’t overpower the other ingredients.

Another common error is using frozen peas straight from the freezer – make sure to thaw them completely and pat them dry with paper towels, otherwise excess moisture will water down your dressing and make the salad runny.

Don’t overdress the salad right away; start with about three-quarters of your dressing, mix it in, and add more if needed after chilling, since the flavors will develop and you can always add more but can’t take it away.

Finally, resist the urge to serve it immediately – that 30-minute chill time isn’t just a suggestion, as it allows the flavors to blend together and the salad to firm up, making it taste much better than if you serve it warm.

What to Serve With Pea Salad?

This pea salad is perfect for summer cookouts and potlucks, so I love serving it alongside grilled meats like burgers, hot dogs, or BBQ chicken. It also pairs really well with other picnic favorites like potato salad, coleslaw, or baked beans for a full spread. If you’re looking for something lighter, try it with grilled fish or as a side to sandwiches – the creamy, tangy flavors complement just about anything. You can even scoop it onto crackers or serve it with chips as a dip-style appetizer at parties.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your Irish pea salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavors actually get better after sitting for a few hours, so it’s great to make in the morning and serve later that day. Just give it a good stir before serving since the dressing might settle a bit.

Make Ahead: This salad is perfect for making ahead! You can prep everything the night before and keep it chilled until you’re ready to serve. If you’re bringing it to a potluck or picnic, just remember to keep it cold in a cooler since it has mayo and eggs.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1750-1950
• Protein: 65-75 g
• Fat: 115-125 g
• Carbohydrates: 115-130 g

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 3/4 onion (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 24 oz peas (I use Birds Eye sweet peas for the best texture)
• 3 eggs (hard-boiled and chopped into 1/2-inch chunks)
• 4 peppers
• 1 1/2 cups irish cheese (I prefer Kerrygold Dubliner for its sharp, nutty profile)

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup mayo (I always use Hellmann’s for a creamier dressing)
• 1/4 cup relish
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 2.5 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Step 1: Prepare the Base Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 onion
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 peppers
• 1 1/2 cups irish cheese

Start by hard-boiling the eggs if not already done—place them in cold water, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes before cooling and chopping into 1/2-inch chunks.

While the eggs cook, finely dice the onion into 1/4-inch pieces and soak it in 1/2 cup of water for about 5 minutes to mellow its sharp bite and add a subtle sweetness to the salad.

Dice the peppers into bite-sized pieces, roughly 1/4-inch to match the texture of the other ingredients.

Shred or cube the Irish cheese into small, even pieces so it distributes evenly throughout the salad.

Step 2: Make the Creamy Dressing

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup relish
• 2.5 tsp mustard
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayo, relish, mustard, salt, thyme, and black pepper until smooth and well combined.

The relish will add a subtle tang and texture that complements the creamy base.

I like to taste the dressing at this point and adjust the seasoning if needed—a pinch more salt or mustard can really bring everything together.

Step 3: Assemble and Dress the Salad

• 24 oz peas
• chopped eggs from Step 1
• diced peppers from Step 1
• diced onion from Step 1
• cheese from Step 1
• creamy dressing from Step 2

Drain the soaked onion completely and add it to a large bowl along with the peas, chopped eggs, diced peppers, and cheese.

Gently fold these ingredients together to distribute them evenly.

Pour the dressing from Step 2 over the salad and fold everything together until all the ingredients are well coated and the dressing is evenly distributed.

I find folding rather than stirring helps keep the ingredients intact and prevents the salad from becoming mushy.

Step 4: Chill and Serve

Transfer the salad to a serving dish and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

This chilling time allows the flavors to meld together beautifully and gives the salad a refreshing, crisp texture that makes it perfect for serving alongside traditional Irish fare or as a standalone side.

Best Irish Pea Salad

Delicious Best Irish Pea Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 47 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 1850

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the salad::

• 3/4 onion (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 24 oz peas (I use Birds Eye sweet peas for the best texture)
• 3 eggs (hard-boiled and chopped into 1/2-inch chunks)
• 4 peppers
• 1 1/2 cups irish cheese (I prefer Kerrygold Dubliner for its sharp, nutty profile)

For the dressing::

• 1/2 cup mayo (I always use Hellmann's for a creamier dressing)
• 1/4 cup relish
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 2.5 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Method

 

1. Start by hard-boiling the eggs if not already done—place them in cold water, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes before cooling and chopping into 1/2-inch chunks. While the eggs cook, finely dice the onion into 1/4-inch pieces and soak it in 1/2 cup of water for about 5 minutes to mellow its sharp bite and add a subtle sweetness to the salad. Dice the peppers into bite-sized pieces, roughly 1/4-inch to match the texture of the other ingredients. Shred or cube the Irish cheese into small, even pieces so it distributes evenly throughout the salad.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayo, relish, mustard, salt, thyme, and black pepper until smooth and well combined. The relish will add a subtle tang and texture that complements the creamy base. I like to taste the dressing at this point and adjust the seasoning if needed—a pinch more salt or mustard can really bring everything together.
3. Drain the soaked onion completely and add it to a large bowl along with the peas, chopped eggs, diced peppers, and cheese. Gently fold these ingredients together to distribute them evenly. Pour the dressing from Step 2 over the salad and fold everything together until all the ingredients are well coated and the dressing is evenly distributed. I find folding rather than stirring helps keep the ingredients intact and prevents the salad from becoming mushy.
4. Transfer the salad to a serving dish and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. This chilling time allows the flavors to meld together beautifully and gives the salad a refreshing, crisp texture that makes it perfect for serving alongside traditional Irish fare or as a standalone side.