This Mason Jar Green Pea Salad Is Going Viral: A Dietitian’s Honest Review

Look, as a Southerner, I love a good chicken-fried steak as much as anyone. A proper biscuit is one of my life’s greatest delights, and those layered gelatin desserts represent a sizeable chunk of my sparkling personality. But the classic Southern pea salad of my youth, with the dull green legumes, all that mayo goop and the soggy little cheddar cubes? I’m sorry, it’s the devil’s boba pearl sundae. No thank you.So imagine my surprise when I saw that pea salad is trending on social media! Surely that stuff is irredeemable? Well, 1.3 million viewers on TikTok and a lot of imitators would beg to differ.This new take on a very old, um, favorite is the brainchild of health and wellness entrepreneur and “Love Is Blind” star Raven Ross.With technique strongly reminiscent of Logan Moffit, the cucumber salad guy, she takes an outrageous serving of warmed frozen peas, adds cubed rotisserie chicken, olive oil, Parmesan, lemon, salt and pepper, and shakes it up in a Mason jar before digging in with a spoon. Bright green, glop-free salad? Count me in!Since then, she’s become something of a pea influencer, with several quick recipes that add peas to curry sauce, pasta and her Chipotle order.She has even appeared in a hilarious pea costume to promote her favorite high-fiber ingredient. You’ve got to admire that level of commitment to the bit. I caught up with Ross to ask her about her passion for peas, and some details about ratios.Did she design this recipe with a love of Southern green pea salad from her formative years in mind?“No!” she says. “I hated it. I think it’s the texture.” (Same, girl, same.)Ross tells me she had posted about peas before by way of encouraging followers to make sure they’re getting enough fiber, but those posts hadn’t really caught on.“Then I saw someone’s really interesting but really difficult pea recipe. I think she might have had pesto in it,” she remembers. “My whole shtick is that I hate to cook but still want to eat healthy. I just felt let down because I knew I was never going to be able to do that [complicated recipe].”Instead, she was inspired to try to make things easier and see how it went — and this time, it went viral.She says she uses a whole bag of peas for a single entree-sized serving and enjoys eating this one warm, although she prefers her “salmon sushi peas” cold. As for the amounts of the seasonings, “I don’t have a cooking bone in my body,” she says, so there’s no measuring. She just adds lemon and Parm until it has the flavor she personally wants.There are lots of copycats, too, but there has been a general coalescence around an alternate version that includes Greek yogurt as a dressing and has a much higher chicken-to-peas ratio. Let’s try it! I’ve got the ingredients for Ross’ original, goopless version, and then some Icelandic yogurt and mustard I can add to taste the alternative version.Raven Ross’ pea and chicken salad uses just a few ingredients to make lunch right in the jar.Heather MartinI really like her tip of defrosting the peas in the microwave, shaking up along with the other ingredients and then eating it, all right out of the jar. I’m going with a cup-and-a-half of peas, closer to Ross’ original than the internet consensus but not quite as pea-forward as a whole 16-ounce bag. Just add heated peas, chopped chicken, Parmesan, lemon, salt and pepper to a jar, and shake!Heather MartinIt doesn’t look quite as pretty once the Parm mixes with the oil, but it tastes divine. I ended up adding all of the juice from half a lemon. It’s bright, slightly sweet and filling. Peas typically fall into the “they’re fine, I guess” category for me, but I really love this and will definitely make it again — probably tomorrow!Now for the yogurt-dressed version. Some shred the chicken or add a little red onion for color. A few go all out with things like avocado, boiled eggs or capers, but that’s in opposition to Ross’s intent.“Theirs look good, but it’s more advanced than what I’m doing,” she explains. “My point is to show how easily you can do it.”So, I’m keeping it simple and just adding about 3 tablespoons of yogurt and a heaping teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Here’s Ross’ simpler version on the left, and the internet’s yogurt- and mustard-dressed riff on the right.Heather MartinI love Ross’ fresh, springy original, but I might prefer the yogurt one. I really dig the mustard tang, which keeps the peas from being too heavy on the palate.The yogurt also adds protein and calcium, but Ross’ take is a nutritional powerhouse in its own right. Either one is a great choice for lunch, hot or cold.Speaking of nutrition, some of the claims sound a little overblown, but Ross’ whole bag of peas version really does clock in at a highly respectable 50 grams of protein and 15-20 grams of fiber, depending on the brand. And although some of the commenters are concerned about the calories and carbs because it contains so many peas, their fears are unfounded; roughly 575 calories and 45 grams of delicious carbs is beyond reasonable for such a satisfying plate — I mean, jar.Are you as fired up about peas as I am now? Ross’ app has a new dedicated page with her recipes handy for clicking, and there are some great ones right here on TODAY.com, too:Skyler BouchardThis pasta salad makes it easy being green, with frozen peas, asparagus and a super-herby dressing. Use a whole wheat orzo for a little extra nutritional boost.Morgan Baker for TODAYNot a fan of the subtle pop of whole peas? People often joke about pea soup, but it’s actually delicious and very easy to make.Ali RosenIf you already love tomato shakshuka, try this green one that’s based on green peas and tomatillo salsa instead.Courtesy of Billy DecDinner doesn’t get healthier or more delicious than seared salmon with lightly mashed, bright green peas on the side. When pea shoots are out of season, arugula makes a similarly textured substitution.No matter which recipe you choose, I really hope you give peas a chance.