Blacked Eyed Pea Salad - This easy, quick, and bursting with flavor salad is great for the holidays, and is gluten free, easy to make ahead of time, and vegan to boot!
This recipe is especially popular around New Years, as it's a southern tradition to eat black- eyed peas for financial luck in the new year.
The inspiration for this black-eyed pea salad comes from a side dish with many names, cowboy caviar, southern caviar, or Texas caviar to name a few. This is still basically a healthy salad, or a dip for chips, either tortilla or potato. It's so easy, and made from colorful and common everyday ingredients, we think it will get rave reviews with your family and guests at your next barbecue, or New Year's Day celebrations!
This made with our blackening spice blend, making this recipe even more simple when you have this staple ingredient already made ahead.
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What You're Going to Need!
- Black eyed peas - We're using canned here, making it convenient, but if you have some cooked from scratch ones, use those.
- Blackening spice blend - The link to our recipe for this versatile spice blend is above, but Paul Prudhomme's brand will work in a pinch. Don't confuse this with creole seasoning blend, as this is a lot spicier, and way less salty.
- Corn kernels - Frozen, just thaw it and toss it in!
- Jalapeno peppers - If you don't want a lot of heat, we have that built into the recipe, not to worry.
- Red onion - We really like the tart acidity of the red ones here, not even to mention the bright color.
- Tomatoes - Look for romas, because they are meatier, as well as nice and red, ripe ones.
- Flat leaf parsley - This is one of the things that sets this black-eyed pea salad recipe apart from cowboy caviar, we have replaced the cilantro and lime juice with fresh parsley and a vinaigrette.
See recipe card for quantities
Recipe
Super Easy Black-Eyed Pea Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Combine all salad ingredients.
- Whip together all dressing ingredients.
- Combine the dressing and salad and mix well to combine.
- Serve with chips to dip, or as a cold side dish.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!How to Make Easy Black-Eyed Pea Salad
- This knife work is really the hardest part. Chop up the red onion as shown.
2. De-seed and fine dice the jalapeno. Notice that we set aside the veins and seeds, this is to customize the spice level.
3. Cut away the watery core of the tomatoes and fine dice.
4. Mix the vinaigrette together in a small bowl, toss it in with the salad, and that's it!
Why Black Eyed-Peas?
Why would this salad include black eyed peas as the main ingredient? The answer is in the origin story, which is based on convenience, like many recipe origins.
In the south there are a great many traditions based on superstitions, and this one revolves around the New Years food tradition and southern culinary history.
Ever since I was a little boy, I can remember being told that I had to eat my greens and black-eyed peas before New Years Day was done. Sometimes the greens took the form of collards, and many times cabbage. The peas were always black eyed, though. All I ever knew was that it was supposed to be for good luck in the coming year.
The food is meant to symbolize money and prosperity. Greens for green dollars, and the black-eyed peas to resemble coins. Eating some is said to ensure you'll make some money in the future, and not doing so ensures your poverty.
When making the black-eyed peas, of course you want to make a lot, wouldn't want to curse someone to bad luck, right? But what to do with the leftovers? Make a tasty, quick, colorful healthy salad out of them!
Chef tip
While this is traditionally eaten in January, it is equally welcome in the summer months at backyard barbecues. It pairs so well with barbecue ribs as a nice fresh tasting side! It's also very well suited for hot weather events like tailgating and such, since it doesn't have mayonnaise or any animal proteins that need more immediate refrigeration.
Substitutions & Variations
As this is already gluten free, allergen free, vegan, and keto friendly, there's no need to substitute anything! This recipe can be modified all kinds of ways.
- Spicy - simply add some of those reserved jalapeno seeds!
- Beans - any small favorite beans will work fine here, try black beans, for instance
- Fancy - add some avocado chunks, cucumber, green onions, red bell pepper, or even some cooked bacon for a twist
Storage & Helpful Hints
This black-eyed pea salad will stay fresh in the refrigerator tightly sealed in an airtight container for up to 7 days. If you freeze this in a sealed zip lock bag, it will keep for up to a month. Just make sure to thaw it slowly in the refrigerator overnight, or the texture will be too soft.
This is a true "make ahead" type of recipe. The flavors really combine and come to the forefront after at least one day from making it. It's so easy and quick, though, that this should never be an issue.
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Great