Black-Eyed Pea Fiesta Salad
This is a recipe we like to do with black-eyed peas. We love fresh salads and a hint of vinegar!
This is a recipe we like to do with black-eyed peas. We love fresh salads and a hint of vinegar!
- 1 small green bell pepper chopped
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped
- 8-10 ounces black-eyed peas, softened cook these gently until soft to eat as a salad, nto mush
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil +/- for taste
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar +/- for taste
- 1 small red onion peeled and chopped
- 1/2 small red bell pepper or pimentos
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries no sugar added
- 1 pinch granulated sugar if needed. sometimes that can take the bitter out of the vinegar.
- 1 batch cucumber dill sauce optional:i don't have a written down recipe of my sauce, but here are some guidelines. i just do whatever tastes good in the moment. cucumber dill sauce: see below or find recipe
- 1 medium avocado sliced or diced
- Carbohydrate 19.0878210001171 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 7.5788495 g
- Fiber 5.24047736703157 g
- Protein 2.03492375 g
- Saturated Fat 1.0828712 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (189g)
- Sodium 14.3581500006298 mg
- Sugar 13.8473436330856 g
- Trans Fat 0.595211925 g
- Calories 143 calories
Step-by-step
- Gently cook black-eyed peas in water until they are soft enough to chew in a salad.
- I usually cook about 20 minutes.
- Drain, rinse and let cool.
- (You can use canned ones, but it just doesn't taste that good.)
- Chop all of your veggies and combine.
- Stir in vinegar and seasoning.
- Let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Stir before serving.
- I like to top with cucumber dill sauce and avocado slices.
- I don't have a written down recipe of my sauce, but here are some guidelines.
- I just do whatever tastes good in the moment.
- Cucumber Dill Sauce: Use a food processor to ground cucumber 1/2, a slice or 2 of onion, sprinkle of sugar, sprinkle of dill, plain Greek yogurt, and a scoop of sour cream.
- Sometimes I throw in a slice of avocado and garlic.
Why are these beans turning to mush before the dressing even hits them? The problem starts at the stove, where boiling black-eyed peas requires aggressive temperature control rather than a rolling boil. Simmering them for precisely 20 minutes keeps the interior firm enough to withstand the acidity of apple cider vinegar without disintegrating into paste. Dried beans demand a long soak, typically eight hours or overnight, followed by fresh water cooking, whereas canned varieties carry too much lingering moisture and dissolve into the bowl upon stirring. Raw green bell peppers and red onions provide structural crunch, but cutting them too finely destroys the textural contrast against the soft legumes. Mincing the peppers into quarter-inch dice ensures they retain structural integrity as the salad rests. Allowing the vegetable mixture to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes permits the apple cider vinegar to penetrate the cell walls of the onions while mellowing their sharp sulfur compounds. Adding a pinch of granulated sugar neutralizes excessive acidity if the vinegar overpowers the dried basil and cilantro. Fold in sliced avocado and any optional cucumber dill sauce immediately before plating to prevent discoloration and watery separation. Acid degradation rapidly browns avocado flesh, so reserve that final garnish until the exact moment of service. Maintaining this precise sequence prevents the dish from turning into a soggy mess by evening.
