Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Black-eyed pea salad boasts a medley of different textures highlighted by a flavorful Dijon vinaigrette. This salad is a protein-packed side dish that can easily be prepped ahead.
How long it takes: 20 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: bowl, knife
Servings: 4 (6 cups total)
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Pin ItBlack-eyed peas have more in common with black beans and pinto beans than green peas. Rather than being sweet, black-eyed peas have a mild flavor that’s earthy and even a bit nutty. Their mild flavor is enhanced by the ingredients you add to jazz it up.
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
A zesty dressing. In the case of this black-eyed pea salad, we put some pep in its step with a vinaigrette made with apple cider vinegar, sweetened with just a touch of honey. It’s also loaded with seasonings to make that flavor pop. (Vinegar-based dressings and beans are magical together—this black bean avocado salad is another example!)
The perfect balance of textures. The dressing alone would be sufficient to add flavor to the black-eyed peas, but for color and texture, I also add crunchy veggies and fresh parsley. The tender black-eyed peas are livened up by crunchy red onion, celery, and red bell pepper. It’s a delight! .
Fabulous for meal prep. This is one of those glorious recipes that tastes even better after a day in the fridge. Make it on a Sunday night and pack it into school lunches or use it as a simple side dish for the next few days.
Great for any occasion. This black-eyed pea salad is a welcome addition to the table at potlucks, holiday get-togethers, picnics, and backyard barbecues. It holds up far better than a green salad, plus its flavor pairs well with almost any main dish.
Ingredient Notes
- Olive oil and apple cider vinegar: These two workhorses form the base of our vinaigrette. Red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar would work too, but I think apple cider vinegar pairs particularly well with earthy black-eyed peas.
- Dijon mustard: Dijon adds a punch of sharp flavor and helps emulsify the vinaigrette. Even if you’re not the type to smear mustard onto a sandwich, you’ll appreciate it in this vinaigrette. Creamy Dijon mustard works the best for this recipe; grainy or coarse ground mustards won’t blend in as well.
- Honey: Add just a touch, to balance the acidic vinegar. To make this a vegan black-eyed pea salad, swap in granulated sugar or agave nectar.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper are simple pantry seasonings.
- Black-eyed peas: I use canned black-eyed peas for convenience. Rinse them well to remove the slimy juice and sludge, and drain well.
- Vegetables: Add a medley of crisp vegetables. I like red bell pepper, red onion, celery, and tomato (okay, that’s technically a fruit, but if we’re getting real technical, the bell pepper is, too). Any variety of bell pepper will work here; green bell peppers have a grassier flavor, while orange and yellow are sweet like red.
- Fresh parsley: A handful of freshly chopped parsley adds a bright, herbaceous finish. Curly or flat-leaf Italian are both fine.
How to Make Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Make the dressing. Whisk all of the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. You’ll be assembling the salad in here, so make sure your bowl is large enough to fit the beans and veggies too.
Combine. Add the black-eyed peas, chopped bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, and chopped parsley, and gently toss until everything is coated with dressing.
Recipe Tip
Dice the vegetables so they’re similar in size to the black-eyed peas. This makes the salad easier to eat, gives you a better balance of flavors in each bite, and it looks better visually.
Marinate. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to mix and mingle. If you’re in a time crunch, you can serve it immediately or shorten the marinating time, but I highly recommend waiting those 30 minutes! The salad can be refrigerated for more time if you want to make it ahead.
Serve. This black-eyed pea salad is delicious chilled or at room temperature.
Serving Suggestions
- Make it a meal. Add 2 cups of cooked quinoa to serve this black-eyed pea salad as a vegetarian main dish. You could also add cooked shredded chicken to the salad.
- Use it as a topping. Spoon the salad over air fryer chicken breasts or air fryer cod for a fast and easy meal.
- Try it with chips. Dip sturdy tortilla chips into this black-eyed pea salad and use it like a salsa or give it a Tex-Mex twist. Add taco seasoning instead of the seasonings listed for the vinaigrette, then swap the celery for frozen (and then thawed) corn kernels and the parsley for cilantro.
Store black-eyed pea salad in an airtight container or covered dish in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe, as it will become mushy after thawing.
More Salad Recipes
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey (agave or sugar can be substituted)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 cans (15.5 ounces each) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
- ½ cup diced red onion (about ¼ of a large onion)
- ½ cup diced celery (about 1 stalk)
- 1 cup diced tomato, seeds removed (1 large or 2 medium tomatoes)
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper until well combined.¼ cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon honey, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Add the drained and rinsed black-eyed peas, red bell pepper, red onion, celery, tomato, and parsley.2 cans (15.5 ounces each) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained, 1 red bell pepper, diced, ½ cup diced red onion, ½ cup diced celery, 1 cup diced tomato, seeds removed, ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
- Gently toss everything together until all the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to marinate. This step is optional but highly recommended for the best flavor.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- Tip: Try to dice the bell pepper, onion, tomato, and celery about the same size as the black-eyed peas.
- Main dish salad: To make this a main dish salad, consider adding 2 cups cooked quinoa for a vegetarian salad, or 2 cups of cooked diced chicken.
- Storage: Refrigerate salad in a covered container for up to 4 days. Lightly stir before serving. It does not freeze well.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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