Black Eyed Pea Salad – Skinnytaste

This wholesome Black-Eyed Pea Salad is a nutrient-dense, whole-food side dish rich in antioxidants, healthy fats, and fiber.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

My cousin shared this vegan Black-Eyed Pea Salad recipe with me. It’s fresh, light, flavorful, and easy to make. You can double the portion as a meatless main dish or serve it as a side dish with pork chops, pork tenderloin, or anything you’re grilling. It would also be good to bring to a potluck. With its fiber-rich beans, healthy fats, and antioxidants from parsley and onions, this salad supports cardiovascular health by lowering cholesterol and reducing inflammation. It’s also great for digestion. Other easy bean salad recipes to try are this Mediterranean Bean Salad and Southwestern Black Bean Salad.

Why This Black-Eyed Peas Recipe Works

I’m always looking to get more fiber and anti-inflammatory foods in my diet, and this salad is a great side dish to make if you want to meal prep for the week. Like my lentil salad, you can add lots of raw veggies to bulk it up. Here are a few reasons to love it:

If you make this healthy black-eyed pea salad recipe, I would love to see it. Tag me in your photos or videos on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook!

What are black-eyed peas?

Black-eyed peas, also known as cowpeas or black-eyed beans, are cream- colored legumes with a distinctive black “eye” on one side. They have been a staple food in various cultures for centuries and offer various nutritional and health benefits.

Black Eyed Peas Ingredients

This simple black eyed pea salad uses 6 main ingredients, plus salt, pepper, and olive oil. The recipe card contains the exact measurements.

• Black Eyed Peas: Rinse and drain dried black-eyed peas in a colander. If there are any bad ones, pick them out.
• Water to cook the beans in
• Bay Leaves impart a subtle herbal flavor.
• Red Onion: The crunchy texture of red onions contrasts with the soft peas.
• Italian Parsley, also called flat-leaf parsley, adds freshness.
• Vinaigrette: Lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and olive oil create a light, tangy dressing for the black-eyed pea salad.
• Salt and Black Pepper season the peas.

How to Make Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Using a pressure cooker speeds up the process of preparing the black-eyed peas. Once they’re ready, it only takes a few minutes to mix everything together to make the salad. See the recipe card at the bottom for the complete instructions.

1. Cook the Peas: Put the black-eyed pea, bay leaves, and water in the Instant Pot and cook for 9 minutes on high pressure. Do a natural release (i.e., after they finish cooking, don’t touch the pot for 15 minutes). Once the pressure has been released, remove the lid and strain the beans. Discard the bay leaves and let the beans cool.
2. Make the Salad: Combine the black-eyed peas with the onion, parsley, lemon juice, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
3. Taste and Chill: Taste the salad and add more salt and lemon if needed. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Black Eyed Peas Variations

• If you want to use canned beans, drain and rinse 4 cans to get about 6 cups of beans.
• Liquid: Cook the beans in vegetable broth for more flavor.
• Onion: Substitute shallots.
• Herbs: Swap parsley with chives, or cilantro.
• Vinegar: Replace red wine vinegar with white wine or white balsamic vinegar.
• Add More Veggies: Raw diced carrots, celery, and broccoli would be great.
• Garlic: Stir in 1 or 2 grated garlic cloves.
• Olives: Add chopped kalamata or Castelvetrano olives.
• Cheese: Mix feta cheese into this Mediterranean black-eyed pea salad.
• No Instant Pot? Cook the black-eyed peas in the slow cooker. Soak the beans in water overnight in the fridge. Drain them and slow cook for 6 hours on high.

What to Serve with Black Eyed Peas

Storage

Refrigerate the Black Eyed Peas salad for up to 5 days and eat it cold as leftovers.

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