My black eyed pea salad is not just delicious but nutritious! Marinated in a smoky-sweet dressing with a colorful medley of summer produce that will nourish you from the inside out.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my easy black eyed pea dip, too!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Quick and Easy - You only need a few minutes to throw this black eyed pea summer salad together. And no fancy tools or techniques are needed!
Fresh and Flavorful - You'll taste bright, sweet, smoky, spicy, and tangy flavors that enhance the fresh flavors of greens, beans, corn, and peppers. The simple black eyed pea salad dressing brings everything together beautifully.
Y'all know I love a good nutrient-packed salad. Peep my clean eating broccoli salad, massaged kale salad with ACV dressing, hamburger salad bowls, Mediterranean cucumber salad, and chopped southwestern salad with chicken next!
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Black Eyed Peas in a salad boost the protein and fiber factors with a tender texture that's different from any of the other ingredients. You can either cook black eyed peas from dried or use black eyed peas from a can. Either way, make sure they're cooled and drained.
Collard Greens fresh-picked from the garden or the grocery store. You can use whole or pre-chopped greens, but I don't recommend frozen greens in this recipe.
Mustard gives the dressing a touch of sharpness and a thicker texture that helps it stick to the salad. I recommend whole grain mustard, spicy brown mustard, or Creole mustard.
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Sweetener - You can sweeten the dressing with honey or a zero-sugar product of your choice. Or use maple syrup or agave nectar to make it vegan.
Toppings - Try crumbled feta cheese for creaminess, bacon bits for more smoky flavor, or roasted black-eyed peas for crunch.
How to Make Black Eyed Pea and Collard Green Salad
- Step 1: Chop the bell peppers and collard greens into bite-sized pieces.
- Step 2: Add all the salad ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
- Step 3: Vigorously shake up the salad dressing ingredients, then pour over top of the salad ingredients.
- Step 4: Toss all the ingredients until evenly coated.
Pro Tip #2
I like to toss all the dressing ingredients into a mason jar to make it easy to mix and store any leftovers for later.
Make it a Meal!
Add More Protein: This salad works as a balanced main or side dish as-is but you can increase the protein by adding some shredded rotisserie chicken, crumbled bacon, or whatever cooked protein you like.
Bread: Try buttermilk biscuits, cast iron skillet honey cornbread, or sweet potato cornbread to round out your plates!
Remix Leftovers: Serve as a main dish, side dish, or the foundation to a grain and salad bowl by mixing in some quinoa and adding meat and veggies like grilled Moroccan chicken thighs or lemon pepper shrimp, and stewed okra and tomatoes, or pan-fried brussels sprouts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and I actually recommend it! This bean salad is a great make-ahead salad because it gets better as it sits and marinates. I like to chill it for at least a few hours to give the flavors time to meld and marinate. It also helps soften the collard greens. So you can make it up to three days in advance.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keeps for up to five days.
How to Serve
Serve black eyed pea salad cold or at room temperature with a sprinkle of extra sunflower seeds or roasted black-eyed peas for some satisfying crunch! The cool temperature makes it a refreshing option to bring to the cookout.
Proteins: We like seasoned chicken kabobs or fish most with this dish. But you can also do beef or pork--add crumbled bacon to the mix or serve your salad alongside the perfect ribeye steak!
And it makes for a great New Year's Day recipe because it has two of the traditional African American prosperity foods: black eyed peas and greens!
More Favorite Recipes
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I hope you'll enjoy this spicy black eyed pea and collard green salad soon and very soon. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Marinated Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Equipment
- 1 knife
- 1 airtight container
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 collard green leaves
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 4 cups black eyed peas cooked and drained, at room temperature
- 1 can sweet corn drained
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
For the Southern Dressing
- juice of one lemon
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup honey or sweetener of your choice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or hot sauce
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the Ingredients: Chop the collard green leaves into one-inch pieces. De-seed and dice the bell peppers.2 collard green leaves, 1 green bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper
- Make the Salad Dressing: Add lemon juice, olive oil, honey, apple cider vinegar, mustard, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper to an airtight container. Seal the container and shake vigorously to emulsify the dressing ingredients.juice of one lemon, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup honey, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon mustard, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, sea salt, black pepper
- Assemble the Salad: Add black eyed peas, corn, chopped collard greens, diced bell pepper, and sunflower seeds to a large bowl. Pour dressing over top and toss the ingredients until well-mixed and evenly coated in dressing. Cover and chill until ready to serve (a least one hour).4 cups black eyed peas, 1 can sweet corn, ¼ cup sunflower seeds
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