While you could eat this tasty salad for a light lunch or even dinner, Tomato Salad with White Acre Peas is a perfect side dish and would pair beautifully with just about any entree for a quick weeknight dinner. It also would make a stunning presentation to serve to guests.
This salad is also easy to assemble and full of fresh flavors. I hope you try it soon, while fresh tomatoes and white acre peas are still available at the farmers’ markets.
Hot and Hot Tomato Salad:
Tomato Salad with White Acre Peas was inspired by the impressive Hot and Hot Tomato Salad which is served at the Hot and Hot Fish Club Restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Hot and Hot Tomato Salad is much fancier than my simple Tomato Salad with White Acre Peas. It includes whole fried baby okra, several varieties of heirloom tomatoes, bacon, fresh-cooked corn, and white acre peas, and it’s topped with a balsamic dressing and their chive dressing.
My humble salad features fresh large beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, fresh white acre peas, bacon, and a delicious homemade blue cheese dressing. It may not be quite as grand as theirs, but it is healthy and delicious and full of fresh, flavorful tomato goodness!
And, best of all, it’s also much quicker and easier to make.
How to make it:
To cook the peas, add the ham hock, peas, thyme sprig, kosher salt, and pepper to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add just enough water to cover the peas and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and let the peas simmer for about 15 minutes or until they are just tender. The fresher the peas are, and the smaller they are, the less time they will need to cook.
When the peas are done, remove from the heat and drain. Set aside.
How to make the dressing:
To make the blue cheese dressing, add the blue cheese crumbles, sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper to a mason jar and shake well.
Refrigerate the dressing until you are ready to use it.
How to assemble:
To assemble the salad, season the tomato slices and cherry tomato halves with salt and pepper. Take the tomato slices and divide among four plates.
Place the cherry tomatoes halves around each stack of tomato slices. Top each tomato stack with one-fourth of the white acre peas. Add the crumbled bacon and top with the Blue Cheese Dressing.
Serve immediately
Sharon’s tips:
You can substitute a package of dry ham flavored concentrate made by Goya for the ham hock.
Just about any type of cowpea or field pie can be substituted for the white acre peas.
This salad is best eaten the day it is made.
Related recipes:
If you like recipes made with fresh tomatoes as we do, you might also like these recipes: Easy Baked Fresh Tomato Casserole, Fried Green Tomatoes, Sweet and Spicy Tomato Jam, Southern Tomato Gravy and Tomato Cobbler with Cornmeal Cheddar Biscuits.
If you like salads, you might also like my Romaine Wedge Salad with Green Goddess Dressing, Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Pecans, and Easy Broccoli Slaw with Ramin Noodles.
Need more ideas? Click here for a list of all of my salad and dressing recipes.
Tomato Salad with White Acre Peas Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large beefsteak tomatoes sliced
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 1 cup fresh shelled white acre peas
- 1 smoked ham hock
- 1 fresh thyme sprig
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- Optional: chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Blue Cheese Salad Dressing Ingredients:
- 4 ounces blue cheese crumbles
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- To cook the peas, add the ham hock, peas, thyme sprig, kosher salt, and pepper to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add just enough water to cover the peas and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the peas simmer for about 15 minutes or until they are just tender. The fresher the peas are, and the smaller they are, the less time they will need to cook.
- When the peas are done, remove from the heat and drain. Set aside.
- To make the blue cheese dressing, add the blue cheese crumbles, sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper to a mason jar and shake well. Refrigerate the dressing until you are ready to use it.
- To assemble the salad, season the tomato slices and cherry tomato halves with salt and pepper. Take the tomato slices and divide among four plates. Place the cherry tomatoes halves around each stack of tomato slices. Top each tomato stack with 1/4 of the white acre peas. Add the crumbled bacon and top with the Blue Cheese Dressing and chopped parsley if using. Serve immediately
This salad sounds amazing, will have to try it. I’ve seen that book, it sounds like one I would like. Would love to take a look at yours when it’s convenient.
Carolyn
Hey Carolyn,
It is amazing! I even think WEH would like it! Of course, you are welcome to borrow the book anytime! My guess is just as soon as you look through it you will decide you have to have it too!
Oh my! Just made this Salad With White Acre Peas. Used left over peas using Gritsandpinecones.com recipe: https://www.gritsandpinecones.com/southern-fresh-white-acre-peas/
Served with Sautéed Gulf Shrimp and Homemade Sourdough Southern Cornbread! Yum. Great way to take advantage of Southern summer fresh produce!
Hey Jan,
I’m so glad you like that tomato salad. I love it because it delicious and it’s a great way to use leftover peas. My mouth was watering when I saw what you served it with. And I’ve never heard of Sourdough Cornbread! I’m a lover of all things cornbread, and I would love to try that recipe!
All the best,
Sharon