This easy side salad is full of crunchy fresh flavor with peas, water chestnuts and crispy prosciutto all tossed in a healthy Greek yogurt dressing.
Table of contents
Side salads don’t often get the credit they deserve, but this Crunchy Pea Salad with Prosciutto should definitely NOT be brushed aside. It comes together in less than 15 minutes and requires very few ingredients, yet it’s huge on taste. It’s the perfect complement to a roast chicken, gourmet grilled cheese, or juicy burger. The kids will even enjoy it!
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s quick and easy, coming together in 15 minutes or less.
- It uses very few ingredients.
- It’s healthy! While most pea salads are loaded with mayo, the majority of the dressing in this recipe is Greek yogurt, with touch a touch of mayo for posterity.
- It can be made in advance and served cold. No reheating necessary!
- The salad transports easily, making it the perfect work, school or picnic lunch.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Plain Greek yogurt – This will be the base of the dressing. I prefer whole milk, but you can also use 2% or skim depending on your preference.
Shallot – This gets sautéed along with the prosciutto to provide an extra depth of flavor that’s truly next level.
Frozen peas – You could use fresh peas as well (cook them before using them in the salad) but I love the convenience of frozen peas since you can always find them at the store.
Mayonnaise – You’ll add just a touch of mayo to the dressing just to give it a little hint of the familiar flavor you’re used to in these types of salads.
Prosciutto – You’ll be crisping this up with the shallots to add the perfect contrast of flavor to the sweet peas. If you can find pancetta, it would be a perfectly acceptable substitute.
Water chestnuts – You’ll find these canned in the Asian section of your supermarket.
Step-by-Step Instructions
The great thing about this Crunchy Pea Salad is that it requires no great cooking skill. If you can yield a frying pan, you can make this! Here are the easy instructions:
First, get your shallots started sautéing in a medium frying pan.
Once the shallots have gotten a little bit of a head start, add the chopped prosciutto and cook (stirring occasionally) until the prosciutto has started to crisp up. Remove everything from the pan onto a small plate lined with a paper towel to drain out some of the excess oil.
Once the shallots and prosciutto have cooled down a bit, combine them with all of the other ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
Stir until everything is incorporated and serve immediately or let sit in the fridge for a bit for all of the flavors to incorporate.
FAQs
Yes! Just cook them before starting into this recipe.
Absolutely. You can just leave out the prosciutto (still cook the shallots before adding to the mix) or you can chop up some salted, toasted cashews which would add wonderful crunch and flavor to the dish.
I wouldn’t make it more than a day in advance, but the great thing is, once you do make it, you can just pop it in the refrigerator and pull it out and serve immediately once you’re ready.
This pea salad is a great side dish to serve with many different types of meals. Some of my favorites include roast chicken, burgers or grilled cheese.
More Tasty Recipes for Spring
Crab Zucchini Stuffing Cakes with Lemon Basil Aioli
Lemon Vanilla Buckwheat Pancakes with Blackberry Syrup
Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with Mint Pea Pesto
Spring Green Minestrone with Basil-Cilantro Pistou
Sip of Spring Elderflower Old-Fashioned
Brown Butter Balsamic Roasted Asparagus
Mixed Mushroom and Leek Bruschetta
Tried this recipe and loved it?? Be sure to leave a comment and five-star rating in the recipe card below!
Crunchy Pea Salad with Prosciutto
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot diced
- 4 slices prosciutto diced
- 1 16-ounce bag frozen peas thawed
- 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts drained and chopped
- 1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium. Add shallots and sauté until they begin to become fragrant. Add prosciutto. Stir over medium heat until prosciutto begins to crisp. Remove shallots and prosciutto to a small plate covered with a paper towel to drain and cool.
- In a medium bowl, combine prosciutto and shallots, peas, water chestnuts, yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic powder and salt. Stir to combine. For best results, let sit in refrigerator for an hour or so to give all of the flavors a chance to meld.
Notes
- If you’d like to use fresh peas, just make sure you cook them before starting this recipe.
- This dish can be made up to a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- To make the recipe vegetarian, omit the prosciutto. If you’d like, add some chopped toasted, salted cashews for some extra flavor and crunch.
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