Black Eyed Pea Salad (Easy Recipe)

Name: Black Eyed Pea Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 yellow bell pepper, diced; ¼ cup diced red onion; 2 ½ cups black eyed peas; 1 ½ cups diced cucumber (about 1 cucumber); 1 jalapeno, diced; 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced; ⅓ cup chopped cilantro; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 lime, juiced; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon garlic powder; ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

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Every bite of this black eyed pea salad is full of bold, fresh flavors. It's easy to make in about 10 minutes and can be served plain or as a dip for chips.

Black eyed pea salad with lime dressing.

About This Recipe

This black eyed pea salad is loaded with fresh ingredients that are chopped small to give it a salsa-like texture. The flavors are Mexican-inspired and it has a small hint of spice from the jalapeno (which you can skip if you don't want the spice).

This recipe is especially popular for New Year's because eating black eyed peas on New Year's Day is said to bring good luck!

You can make this recipe as a side dish, a topping (like for chicken or fish), or as a dip for tortilla chips (highly recommended).

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this recipe. The full recipe and ingredient list can be found at the bottom of the page.

Yellow bell pepper
Red onion
Black eyed peas
Cucumber
Jalapeno
Roma tomatoes
Cilantro

Dressing:

Olive oil
White wine vinegar
Honey
Lime
Garlic powder

Instructions

Here's how to make this recipe in 4 simple steps:

Make the dressing: in a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, lime juice, salt and pepper.
Mix the salad: add the salad ingredients to a medium bowl and toss with the dressing. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
Serve: for best flavor, cover and chill in the fridge for 2-3 hour (or overnight) before serving. Can be served plain or as a dip for chips (highly recommended)!

Variations

Here's some of the most popular substitutions and additions for this recipe:

Black eyed peas: you'll need 2 ½ cups of cooked black eyed peas for this recipe. You can cook them yourself (from dried beans) or buy them canned (and already cooked).
Bell pepper: I've used a yellow bell pepper but you could use any color.
Tomatoes: any tomatoes will work (cherry, grape, heirloom, globe); use about 1 cup.
Jalapeno: this adds a little spice to the recipe; leave it out if you don't want any spice
White wine vinegar: white vinegar, champagne vinegar, or apple cider vinegar can be used instead.
Honey: swap this for maple syrup if preferred (this would also make the recipe vegan).
Lime juice: in a pinch, lemon juice could also be used.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this recipe be made ahead of time?

Yes, this recipe can be made ahead of time. Make it up to 2 days ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.

How do you serve black eyed pea salad?

Black eyed pea salad is best served cold. It can be served plain, as a side dish, a topping, or as a dip for chips!

Can I use canned black eyed peas?

Yes, you can use canned black eyed peas but you may want to use less salt than called for in the recipe because they come with added salt. If you don't used canned black eyed peas, you can buy dried ones and cook them before adding them to the recipe.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-6 days.

Similar Recipes

If you like this recipe, you'll also love our similar Cowboy Caviar, which is a flavorful chip dip that's made with black eyed peas, corn, beans, peppers & more!

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment & rating at the bottom of this page!