Recipe: Amish Style Ham and Pea Salad (Vegan, Nut Free)

 

Full disclosure: I have never had the original, non-vegan version of Amish ham and pea salad. However, the main themes that emerged as I was reading about the dish were that it is one of those "subject to your interpretation" things, so I feel fine calling this recipe part of that genre. People make it in all sorts of ways, but fundamentally, it combines peas, ham, cheese, onions, and a ranch-style dressing. It may involve other things, but this is the basic recipe. It's tangy and satisfying, and it's a nice salad to make in the depth of winter, when all of the ingredients are (more or less) readily available.

Where the Amish would have gotten a taste for ranch dressing is an open question. Ranch comes from Hidden Valley Ranch (which was, yes, a place before it was a brand) and originated there in 1949 before being introduced to the rest of the U.S. in the 1950s. The Amish originated in the 1690s, migrated to America in the early 18th century, and withdrew from society as we know it just before the Civil War. Yet some of today's Amish do spend a portion of young adulthood among the rest of us (rumspringa), so they might have found it that way. However, I'm inclined to think that the recipe predates ranch dressing and ranch was just a shortcut someone found so they didn't have to make the dressing itself. A 1969 recipe appeared in the Los Angeles Times, for example, which gives directions for making a dressing that involved mayo, mustard, lemon juice, and vinegar; that one also includes eggs, which you'll also find in many recipes (though obviously not mine). It also, curiously enough, makes no mention of the Amish; this may not be an Amish salad at all. However, the Amish are known for pea-based foods, so who knows?

In this version, you will have to make the dressing (sorry, not sorry), but it has the tangy, herby quality of ranch, and if you can measure and stir, you can do it! This is a really easy recipe.

Feel free to make this salad your own. Add some small pasta shapes or finely diced potatoes and you can make a whole meal out of it, or serve it with crackers and a side of fruit for an easy lunch, or have it as a side dish with any number of other foods.

Amish Style Ham and Pea Salad
Serves: 3-4 as a side or 2 as a main dish

1 cup frozen peas, thawed and kept cold (I use baby peas)
3/4 cup chopped vegan ham, such as Tofurky
1/4 cup shredded non-dairy cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded non-dairy Monterey jack cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried parsley (or use 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped)
1 teaspoon dried dill (or use 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice (about 1/4 of a large lemon, though feel free to use bottled lemon juice if that's what you have)
Salt and pepper to taste

Put peas, ham, cheddar, Monterey jack, and onions in a mixing bowl; set aside.

In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients, then pour over the ingredients in the mixing bowl. Stir well. Serve.