- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 2 hours of soaking time)
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 side servings
This is my twist on a traditional New Year’s meal side dish that is common to the southeastern United States. Black-eyed peas are served all year ’round, from the Carolinas to Kentucky and Alabama, and especially on the holidays, including Thanksgiving.
You can serve black-eyed peas warm or cold to accompany a roast of pork, collard greens, and sweet potatoes for a nice comfort-food Southern meal.
By no means do I purport to be an expert in southern cooking or to offer this recipe as an authentic black-eyed pea classic.
In seeking a protein-rich complement to a beautiful rack of pork (the best I’ve ever had, actually) that my husband and brother were grilling, I derived this lighter, bacon-free version of black-eyed peas.
Try serving this side dish with a Southern-themed Thanksgiving or for any everyday meal to complement chicken, beef, pork, or fish.
Served cold, this black-eyed pea salad is especially refreshing when served at a summer barbecue. It is an excellent, delicious source of protein for vegetarian and vegan diets.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of dried black-eyed peas
- water
- 1 white or yellow onion, chopped
- salt and black pepper
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, whole, smashed with a knife blade
- 1 pint of grape tomatoes, sliced in 1/3
- 1 large bunch of fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced, including green ends
- 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, finely chopped
Instructions
- Rinse the black-eyed peas under running water and remove any stones or other debris.
- Transfer the peas to a medium-large pot and cover them with sufficient water so that they are submerged, and let the peas soak for at least two hours or over night. Add more water if the peas absorb all that is in the pot.
- When the peas have soaked and swelled in size, drain them in a colander and rinse them in cool, fresh water.
- In the same pot in which the black-eyed peas were soaked, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat.
- Sauté the yellow onion, sprinkled with a bit of salt, until the onions are soft and transparent. Add the smashed garlic cloves, stir, and cook for five minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a large salad bowl, make the salad dressing by whisking together the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dill, jalapeño, salt, and pepper.
- Toss in the fried onion and garlic. Add the peas, tomatoes, and scallions to the bowl, toss gently, and serve.
