Black-Eyed Pea Rainbow Salad

Have a potluck party coming up this weekend and you're not sure what to make? I have the answer. I didn't know that a bean salad could be so appealing to the masses until I made this recipe for a BBQ one 4th of July and it was a major hit.

Let's talk about beans. I loooooooove beans. I try to add them to my meals daily because they are chock full of all things good. It's actually amazing how something so tiny can be so full of nutrition and flavor. Also, beans can be added to so many dishes as well as pureed. Ohhhh pureed beans... Now we're talking. But this time, we are eating them whole and we are actually eating black-eyed peas. After trying this recipe, you will see why Fergie wanted to be in a band named after this delicious legume.

If you’ve never eaten black-eyed peas before, you are in for a treat. They are pale-colored with a prominent black spot and are very low in calories while being high in fiber. Each serving has 16% of your daily fiber 70 calories, to be exact! I usually eat this salad by itself but sometimes I put in on toasted bread and make it into a bruschetta or I could even make it a dip and have it with some tortilla chips. It is such a good way to get kids to eat their beans and vegetables.

My favorite way to eat this recipe is to pair it with a frozen margarita. The perks of a hot summer day! :)

(Right after I made this salad for a Kitchensurfing photo shoot. Look how happy dem beans make me!)

black-eyed pea salad

black-eyed pea salad

You can make different variations of this recipe all year long. During the winter, I add stewed tomatoes and sautéed spinach instead of avocado. In the South, eating black-eyed peas on New Years Day is thought to bring prosperity into the New Year, so please enjoy this dish 365 of the year.

Okay, I am going to go make some now because I just got a serious craving after writing all of this up and my cousin wants to have a picnic on the water by the South Street Seaport, so I leave you now with red wine + Black-Eyed Pea Rainbow Salad in-tow. (I don't have the margarita ingredients, and besides, she has to go back to work not totally hammered!) Don't be too jealous.

The picnic happened and Carrie gave this recipe (and the wine) a big stamp of approval!

Black-Eyed Pea Rainbow Salad:

Recipe Typ:

Author: Michele Wolfson

Prep time: 30 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients

  • 2 14–oz. cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

  • ½ green bell pepper, chopped

  • ½ red bell pepper, chopped

  • ½ red onion, chopped

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 avocado, cubed (1 cup)

  • 2 Tbs. lemon juice

  • 3 Tbs. olive oil

  • 3 Tbs. red wine vinegar

  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 4 Tbs. vegan Szechuan sauce

  • ½ tsp. agave

Instructions

  1. Toss together black-eyed peas, bell pepper, onion and garlic in a large bowl.

  2. Toss avocado with lemon juice in separate bowl. Add avocado to black-eyed pea mixture.

  3. Whisk together oil, vinegar, cayenne, salt, Szechuan sauce, and agave in bowl used for avocado. Add black-eyed pea mixture, and toss to mix.

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