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Home » Salads » Crunchy Pea Salad with Prosciutto

Crunchy Pea Salad with Prosciutto

Published February 5, 2021 | Updated Feb 05, 2021 by Robin Deem Leave a Comment
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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.

Overhead shot of a bowl of pea salad garnished with basil.

Table of contents

  • Why This Recipe Works
  • Ingredients You’ll Need
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • FAQs
  • More Tasty Recipes for Spring

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

Ingredients needed to make pea salad.

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:

Minced shallots being sautéed in a frying pan.

First, get your shallots started sautéing in a medium frying pan.

Shallots and prosciutto in a 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.

A mixing bowl of ingredients for pea salad.

Once the shallots and prosciutto have cooled down a bit, combine them with all of the other ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.

A clear glass bowl of crunchy pea salad.

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

Can I use fresh peas instead of frozen?

Yes! Just cook them before starting into this recipe.

Can I make this recipe vegetarian?

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.

How far in advance can I make this salad?

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.

What can I serve with this to round out the meal?

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.

An overhead shot of a bowl of crunchy pea salad.

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

Herbed Carrot Galette

Energizing Pink Latte

Brown Butter Balsamic Roasted Asparagus

Mixed Mushroom and Leek Bruschetta

Lavender Collins

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 | CaliGirl Cooking

Crunchy Pea Salad with Prosciutto

A fresh, creamy, crunchy salad with green peas and crispy prosciutto.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Refrigerator Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 157kcal
Author: CaliGirl Cooking

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

  1. If you’d like to use fresh peas, just make sure you cook them before starting this recipe.
  2. This dish can be made up to a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
  3. To make the recipe vegetarian, omit the prosciutto. If you’d like, add some chopped toasted, salted cashews for some extra flavor and crunch.

Nutrition

Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 160mg | Potassium: 289mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 614IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg
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Hi, I'm Robin! I'm a busy mom, food blogger and online educator empowering other mamas to find their very own recipe for a balanced life through meal planning, easy recipes and organizational techniques. I look forward to getting to know you and teaching you my tried and true tricks!

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