Black Eyed Pea Salad Recipe is make ahead ready and packed with summer fresh veggies! Share this hearty salad as a side, lunch or appetizer; it’s perfect as a light summer dinner. This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.
~ This recipe was updated with new photos, text and recipe notes 8/20 ~
Flavor, Color and Texture!
Lingering summer days call for hearty, easy to make salads utilizing the season’s freshest veggies. Black eyed peas are a delicious way to boost protein in salads and they’re perfect partners with corn and tomatoes. Their creamy texture and earthy flavor is an added bonus!
Flavor packed and with a red wine, papkrika spiked vinaigrette, this fresh Black Eyed Pea Salad pairs with BBQ, sandwiches or those zucchini fritters from last week with ease. But this salad doesn’t stop there. Enjoy it as a saladita spooned over grilled BBQ cauliflower, on avocado toast or enjoy it as an appetizer with tortilla chips to scoop up all the goodness! It’s delicious simply as is too.
Don’t ya just love salads that can do all these things?
How to Make Black Eyed Pea Salad
Sweet corn, peppers, and cherry tomatoes play off the heat of the jalapeño and chiles. Red wine vinaigrette ties all the flavors together! Here’s how to make this fresh black eyed pea salad:
- First, either cook the black eyed peas, or use pre cooked. Transfer the peas to a large mixing bowl.
- Second, shuck the corn, then cut the niblets off. Toss the kernels into the mixing bowl.
- Third, chop the onions, bell pepper, tomatoes, jalapeno and cilantro. Transfer veggies and prepared chilis to the mixing bowl with the black eyed peas.
- Next, mix the vinaigrette: red wine vinegar, olive oil, mustard, garlic, salt, paprika, dried oregano and thyme.
- Last, dress the salad and toss!
Allow the black eyed pea salad to hang out in the fridge for at least an hour so the flavors can marry.
A Few Recipe Notes
- How to Share: Enjoy as a side salad, dip with tortilla chips, or spooned over BBQ veggies! It’s really delicious spooned over avocado toast!
- Use pre cooked or dry black eyed peas in this recipe. See recipe card notes for how to cook black eyed peas.
- Jalapeño heat can vary, so be sure to give it a taste-test before adding a full pepper. Remove the seeds and ribs to quiet the heat if needed.
- Use fresh corn right off the cob for the juiciest, sweetest black eyed pea salad.
- PRO TIP: to remove the niblets from the cob, place cob on end in a pie plate and slice down the cob, allowing the cob be your guide for cutting the kernels off the cob. The pie plate catches all the corn kernels making clean up a snap!
More Summer Salad Recipes to Love
- Panzanella Salad with Quinoa and Chickpeas
- Quinoa Summer Veggie Salad
- Chickpea Summer Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing
- Mango Black Bean Quinoa Salad with Chipotle Dressing
- Spinach Pecan Brown Rice Salad
the recipe
Black Eyed Pea Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 2 1/4 C (375g) Black Eyed Peas cooked, drained, rinsed and cooled* (see note)
- 2 1/4 C (325g) Raw Corn Kernels from fresh corn, about two ears
- 1/2 C (90g) Green Bell Pepper diced small, about 1/2 pepper
- 1 C (180g) Red Bell Pepper diced small, about 1 pepper
- 1/2 C (75g) Purple Onion diced small, about 1/4 of a medium onion
- 1/4 C (50g) Prepared Green Chiles diced small, I like Hatch
- 1 Jalapeño seeded and white ribs removed** (see note)
- Fist Full of Fresh Cilantro stemmed removed, leaves chopped
- 2 1/2 C (400g) Cherry Tomatoes quartered, about 1 pint
- Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
For the Dressing:
- 2 Tbs Olive Oil
- 3 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Whole Grain Spicy Mustard or Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tbs Fresh Garlic minced, about 1 large clove
- 1 tsp Salt or to taste
- 3/4 tsp Oregano dried
- 1/2 tsp Thyme dried
- 1/4 tsp Smoky Paprika hot or sweet
- Pinch of Cayenne Pepper optional - and for an added kick
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the peas, corn, green and red bell pepper, onion, jalapeño, chilis and cilantro. Set aside.
- In a lidded jar add the vinegar, oil, mustard, garlic, salt, oregano, thyme, paprika and cayenne pepper. Shake well until emulsified.
- Pour dressing over the salad and stir well to incorporate the ingredients. Fold in the tomatoes. Taste for seasoning adjustment and add in fresh ground pepper.
- Make at least one hour ahead if possible so the flavors can marry. Share as a main, side or as a dip with corn chips! Store in a lidded container for up to three days. The flavor will improve as the salad rests.
