Snap Pea Salad is so easy to make. Sweet, tender raw peas combined with a few simple ingredients.
Crisp and vibrant. Bursting with fresh flavours. A quick-to-assemble cucumber and cold pea salad tossed with a simple sour cream and dill dressing. My family voted this the best summer salad.

You can never go wrong with cool cucumbers in recipes all summer long. Have you tried my stuffed cucumber boats?
When I was a kid, my mom and baba both had HUGE gardens. My favourite vegetable to pick and eat was fresh, sweet green peas. As I picked them off the stalk I think I ate as many as I put in the basket. No wonder she always found empty pea pods in my tracks.
Still, to this day, fresh peas eaten raw is like eating candy for me. I love adding them to salads and sandwiches or just dipping them in hummus.
Have you ever tried pea shoots? A great burger topping, just like on these Zucchini Burgers.
RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for this salad with sugar snap peas can be found at the bottom of this post.
Ingredients for Snap Pea Salad
I love when it only takes a few ingredients to make a great dish. This easy salad recipe combines:
- raw, fresh sugar snap peas
- cucumber
- pickled onions
- sour cream
- dried dill
- salt & pepper
Within a few minutes, you have a quick and healthy salad that is the perfect side to sandwiches, burgers or just a great option. Give this a try alongside fish and chips. The perfect alternative to coleslaw.
Just like my cucumber salad recipe, this salad combines sour cream, dill, and pickled onions. Maybe it is the Ukrainian in me, but sour cream and dill is a match made in heaven.
How about pickled onions, are you a fan? In this recipe, I used sour pickled onions, but feel free to use the sweet variety if you prefer.
Preparing This Simple Pea Salad Recipe
- Wash the peas, pat dry, and thinly slice.
- Wash and cut the cucumber.
- Cut the pickled onions (or not).
- Make the dressing.
- Combine everything in a bowl.
- Done!
The crispiness of the snap peas, along with the cool refreshing crunchy cucumbers, tossed in a luscious creamy dill dressing, creates a harmonious blend of goodness.
Suggestions/Recipe Tips
This creamy cucumber pea salad is best eaten on the day it is made. Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container and placed in the fridge for up to 3 days. The leftover salad will not be as crisp.
Fresh dill can be used in place of dried dill. Adjust the amount to your liking.
Greek yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream.
If you don’t like pickled onions, you can leave them out or try green onions instead.
Sugar Snap Peas vs Snow Peas
Who would have known there were so many kinds of peas. When I was a kid the only variety I knew was the garden pea or English pea.
Snap peas are actually a cross between snow peas and garden peas. No wonder I love them so much. You get to eat the whole thing, no shelling necessary.
They are super crisp and super sweet. Most times I eat them raw. Sometimes they have tough strings that need to be removed. Lately, I have found them to be almost stringless.
If you are counting calories, you will be happy to know that snap peas are easy on the calories and are great in the nutrition department too. Zero fat, low carb, high fibre, sounds good to me.
Ways To Eat Sugar Snap Peas
I think you already know my favourite way, but here are some tasty ways to enjoy them:
- raw (perfect for snacking on)
- steamed
- roasted
- sautéed
- stir-fry
Pea Pod Tips
- Look for bright green pea pods that are shiny and look full, almost bursting. Try to avoid dull, yellowing peas.
- Old peas tend to have more fibrous strings.
- Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I like to keep them in a perforated produce bag (affiliate).
- Always rinse under cold water before eating.
- You can also freeze them. Blanch whole peas for about 2 minutes. Cool, dry and lay on a cookie sheet (be sure they are not touching). Freeze for a couple of hours, then transfer to a freezer bag.
Next time you are looking for a super crisp and refreshing side dish, this green pea salad is an awesome choice.
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You may enjoy this simple pea salad with:
Sugar Snap Pea Salad
Ingredients
- 5 ounces snap peas (thinly sliced)
- 3 ounces seedless cucumber (diced)
- ½ teaspoon dried dill (or to taste)
- 1 ½ ounces sour cream
- 2 ounces pickled onions (sour or sweet)
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Dressing:
- In a small bowl combine the sour cream, dill, salt, and pepper. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
- It is best if you combine this at least 30 minutes (or more) prior to using to enable the flavours to develop.
For the Salad:
- Wash snap peas and pat dry.
- Cut into thin slices and place in a bowl.
- Wash and cut the cucumber and add to the bowl with the peas.
- Slice the pickled onions and add to the bowl. I used small onions and cut them in ½.
- Add the prepared sour cream dressing to the peas, cucumbers and pickled onions.
- Combine and ENJOY!
Zhen
This was so delish, the dill made the sour cream taste so fresh!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I love the dill and sour cream combination too.
Laura Arteaga
This salad is the perfect side dish for our summer meals. We really enjoyed it the first time so we kept making it again and again. Such a great recipe, thank you!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You are very welcome. So glad you enjoyed this snap pea salad.
Natalia
So many delicious layers of flavors in this amazing spring salad! Love the addition of pickled onions! Thanks for sharing!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This really is a crisp and refreshing pea salad.
Carrie
I really enjoyed this salad! Wondering how it would be if the peas were blanched? It could just be the ones I had, but some bites were tough. The sour cream mixture was amazing and the flavors were very bright.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You can always blanch the peas if you prefer. We love them raw.
Moop Brown
I like the dill flavorful of this salad and think it pairs really well with the snap peas.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I love the combination of dill and peas too.
Erin
This looks so perfect for a picnic! And so few ingredients, too. I’m not a huge fan of dill, so think I’ll try it with mint! Thanks for the great recipe.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Mint will work very well in this snap pea salad. Enjoy!
Lauren Michael Harris
This pea salad was so easy to make but had the best, fresh flavor that is just perfect this time of year. Will definitely make again!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I love the crisp fresh flavour of this salad too.
Marie
Loved how easy this salad is! Had some sugar snap peas on hand and pulled the salad together to bring to a last-minute picnic. Everyone enjoyed it!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Sugar snap peas are so delicious, and work well in this refreshing salad.
Amy Casey
This was the perfect summery salad for our bbq this past weekend. And things for the storage tip of using the perforated bags. I love them!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You are welcome.
Ann
I have not make a snap pea salad before, but after making this, I am not sure why! It was super yummy!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I know right. I only ate them as a snack. This salad really packs a punch.
Carrie Robinson
I just love fresh sugar snap peas! I had never thought to make a salad with using just them before- genius! 🙂
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I agree, I never ate them in a salad until I made this. Now this is my favourite way to enjoy them.