Southern Black Eyed Pea Salad (Print)

Hearty black-eyed peas and brown rice tossed with crisp vegetables in a refreshing lemon-mint vinaigrette.

# Ingredients:

→ Salad

01 - 1½ cups cooked black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 cup cooked brown rice, cooled
03 - ½ small red onion, finely diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, finely diced
05 - ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

→ Lemon Vinaigrette

06 - ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
08 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - ½ teaspoon honey or maple syrup
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# Instructions:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the black-eyed peas, cooked brown rice, red onion, celery, and chopped mint.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, honey or maple syrup, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
03 - Pour the lemon vinaigrette over the salad ingredients and toss gently to combine.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice as desired.
05 - Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld.
06 - Serve chilled or at room temperature, garnished with extra mint if desired.

# Pro Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes even better the next day when the flavors have had time to get cozy with each other.
  • You can throw it together in under an hour, making it perfect for when you're expected somewhere with food.
  • It's naturally vegan and gluten-free without tasting like anything is missing.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad until you're ready to eat it if you need it to stay tomorrow—leftover dressing makes everything mushy.
  • The brown rice needs to be completely cooled, not just warm, or the heat will make the vegetables release water and dilute everything.
03 -
  • Make extra dressing and keep it in the refrigerator—it's perfect on roasted vegetables or drizzled over grilled chicken within the week.
  • If you're cooking the peas from dried, save the cooking liquid and use it instead of water for the brown rice for deeper, more connected flavor.
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