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Crunchy Ranch Pea Salad

Crunchy Ranch Pea Salad is the perfect addition to any pitch-in, cook out or family gathering. The crunchy texture comes from celery, cauliflower and a secret ingredient - chopped cashews.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Refrigerate2 hours
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Crunchy Ranch Pea Salad, old-fashioned pea salad, Pea Salad, Ranch Pea Salad
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 304kcal
Author: Barbara

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces frozen peas, thawed
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup cauliflower, diced
  • 1/4 cup green onions, diced
  • 1 cup cashews, chopped
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (prepared)
  • Crisp, cooked bacon (crumbled for topping)

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients except bacon, including Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing.
    Crunchy Ranch Pea Salad is the perfect addition to any pitch-in, cook out or family gathering. The crunchy texture comes from celery, cauliflower and a secret ingredient---chopped cashews.
  • Chill a minimum 2 hours before serving.
    Crunchy Ranch Pea Salad is the perfect addition to any pitch-in, cook out or family gathering. The crunchy texture comes from celery, cauliflower and a secret ingredient---chopped cashews.
  • Garnish with bacon before serving.
    Crunchy Ranch Pea Salad is the perfect addition to any pitch-in, cook out or family gathering. The crunchy texture comes from celery, cauliflower and a secret ingredient---chopped cashews.

Notes

  • It's no secret that we are pea salad crazy over here.  If you are going old school, try our Old Fashioned Pea Salad.  Or, we have an updated version with loads of bacon and shredded cheese (Easy Bacon Pea Salad).  We've also have a classic funeral pea salad that is a lighter dressing packed with dill flavor (Creamy Dill Pea Salad). 
  • Use a bag of frozen peas that have been thawed in the refrigerator.
  • The crunch in this crunchy pea salad comes from a variety of ingredients including celery and cauliflower, but the secret "crunchy" ingredient comes from chopped cashews. No one will be the wiser that they are even in the salad. We totally tricked our nut-hating sister into eating this and loving it nonetheless.
  • We used salted cashews for this recipe. If you use the unsalted kind, then you may need to taste and add salt.
  • The dressing for this creamy ranch pea salad is a combination of sour cream and Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing. Be sure to use the prepared ranch dressing, not the dressing mix. 
  • The flavor of this Hidden Valley Ranch Pea Salad gets better as it chills in the refrigerator. Feel free to make a day or two ahead of time to let the flavors marinate; however, garnish with bacon right before serving to prevent it from getting soggy.

Nutrition

Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 365mg | Potassium: 328mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 514IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg