This Black Eyed Pea Salad is fresh, flavorful, and full of texture. It's easy to make, perfect for meal prep, and tossed in a smoky dressing that takes it to another level. It gets even better after sitting, making it ideal for lunches, potlucks, or a simple dinner.
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🔍 Quick Look: Black Eyed Pea Salad
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 2
- 📊 Calories: ~327 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 👩🏽🍳 Flavor Profile: Bright, smoky, and tangy with a subtle heat. Fresh and crisp from the vegetables, balanced by a lightly sweet, savory roasted red pepper dressing.
- 💪🏼 Nutrition: 17 grams of protein, 15 grams of fiber, 259mg calcium per muffin
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy - simple chopping, blending, and mixing with no cooking required (optional quick sauté for garlic).
Jump to:
- 🔍 Quick Look: Black Eyed Pea Salad
- 👩🏽⚕️ Nutritionist's Note
- 👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- 🥬 Substitutions
- 📝 How to Make Black Eyed Pea Salad
- 🥗 What Goes Well With This Black Eyed Pea Salad?
- ✔️ Storage & Meal Prep Tips
- 🫘 More Healthy Bean Salads
- 🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
- 🍴 More Healthy Salad Recipes
- 👩🏽🍳 Made this recipe?
- ⚖️ Convert the Recipe to Metric (g & mL)
- Black Eyed Pea Salad Recipe
- 🛍️ Shop Recipe Cookware and Ingredients
- 💬 Comments
👩🏽⚕️ Nutritionist's Note
Black-eyed peas add plant protein and fiber, helping keep this salad satisfying. Collard greens are a standout for calcium, and lightly massaging can slightly improve digestibility. You get a generous portion for just over 200 calories, and thanks to the fiber and plant protein, it keeps you full for hours.
Why You'll Love This Salad:
This is the kind of bean salad you actually crave-not just something you "should" eat. Key features include:
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
- Great for meal prep
- Packed with texture from beans, greens, and crunch
- Works as a side, main, or bowl base
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free
👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
Below, I share ingredient notes from both a nutrition expert's and trained chef's perspective.
- Black-eyed peas: Hearty and tender, they hold their shape well and soak up flavor beautifully.
- Collard greens (or leafy greens): Add substance and a slight bite. Massaging softens them and makes the salad more cohesive.
- Cucumber: Brings freshness and crunch. Dice small for better texture in every bite.
- Red bell pepper: Adds sweetness and color, balancing the acidity in the dressing.
- Roasted red peppers (for dressing): Provide body, natural sweetness, and a subtle smokiness.
- Garlic: Adds depth. Lightly sautéing it mellows the sharpness if preferred.
- Red chili or chili flakes: Optional heat to balance the sweetness and acidity.
- Lemon juice + apple cider vinegar: Brighten everything and keep the salad tasting fresh.
- Maple syrup: Just enough to round out the acidity without making it sweet.
- Smoked paprika + oregano: Give the dressing a deeper, savory flavor that makes this stand out.
See the printable recipe card below for quantities.
🥬 Substitutions
This recipe is versatile and easy to adapt. Below are some simple ingredient substitutions.
- Greens: Use kale, spinach, or arugula instead of collards.
- Beans: Canned or freshly cooked both work. Just drain well. Substitute with chickpeas, black beans, or cannellini beans for a similar texture and flavor.
- Cashews: Substitute cashews with silken tofu, almonds, sunflower seeds, or hemp hearts for a similar creamy texture.
- Cucumber: Swap with celery for a less watery crunch.
- Bell pepper: Cherry tomatoes work well here too.
- Garlic: Skip or lightly sauté for a milder flavor.
📝 How to Make Black Eyed Pea Salad
The complete recipe with exact amounts is below. These additional tips will help you get the best results.
- Soak cashews if not using a high-speed blender. If your blender is not very powerful, soak cashews in hot water for 10-15 minutes for a smoother dressing. You can also use an immersion blender if needed.
- Cook the garlic for a milder flavor. Lightly sauté garlic for about 30 seconds until just golden to mellow the sharpness.
- Use high-quality roasted red peppers. Jarred roasted red peppers are convenient-look for ones with simple, clean ingredients for the best flavor.
- Adjust the dressing to taste. Taste and tweak-add more lemon for brightness, maple for balance, or salt to bring everything together.
- Massage the greens with salt and lemon to soften texture and make them easier to eat. If you want to improve mineral absorption, quickly sauté the collard greens for 1-2 minutes until just wilted, then let them cool before mixing.
- Use a veggie chopper for ease. A small dice makes a big difference. A chopper keeps everything uniform and saves time. See here under 'Favorite Cookware' for the chopper I use.
- Save some dressing for later. If making ahead, reserve a little dressing to refresh the salad before serving.
- Serve slightly chilled, not cold. Cold dulls flavor. Let it sit out for a few minutes before serving for the best taste.
🥗 What Goes Well With This Black Eyed Pea Salad?
Here are a few easy ways to enjoy this salad throughout the week:
- As a side for grilled or roasted dishes
- Over grains like quinoa, lemon quinoa, crispy quinoa, barley, Freekeh, or millet
- With pita or lentil wraps, and vegan falafel
- Enjoy with toasted quinoa bread or lentil bread
- Top with grated tofu, tofu cumbles, crispy tofu, or simple crispy tempeh for extra protein
✔️ Storage & Meal Prep Tips
These simple steps help preserve freshness and flavor:
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir before serving.
- Make ahead: This salad is ideal for meal prep. The flavor improves after a few hours as the beans absorb the dressing.
- Keep it fresh longer: If making ahead for several days, store the dressing separately and mix just before serving, or reserve some dressing to refresh later.
- Greens tip: If using delicate greens, add them closer to serving. Collards hold up well for multiple days.
- Meal prep bowls: Portion into containers and pair with grains or tofu for quick, balanced lunches.
- Refresh before eating: Add a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar to bring the flavors back to life.
🫘 More Healthy Bean Salads
My Creamy White Beans with Amaranth is a high-iron, plant-based one-pot meal with leeks, miso, and lemon.
This Creamy White Beans recipe with 30g protein is a plant-based meal that's filling and satisfying, without weighing you down.
Try this healthy, high-protein Steamed Rice & Vegetable Bowl with 25g protein and 16g fiber.
Craving something quick, balanced, and packed with protein? This Roasted Edamame Bowl with Mushrooms hits the spot!
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Yes. Just rinse and drain well.
Yes. They are rich in fiber and digested slowly, which helps support more stable blood sugar levels when eaten as part of a balanced meal.
Salads built around beans, leafy greens, and vegetables-like this one-are a great choice. They provide fiber, potassium, and plant-based nutrients that support heart health.
Yes. Rinse and drain well to remove excess sodium and improve flavor and texture.
Grains, wraps, roasted vegetables, or as a side to any main.
🍴 More Healthy Salad Recipes
👩🏽🍳 Made this recipe?
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⚖️ Convert the Recipe to Metric (g & mL)
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Black Eyed Pea Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup raw cashews see recipe notes
For the greens:
- 4 cups collard greens or leafy greens, stems removed and chopped
- Salt to taste
- Splash lemon juice for massaging greens
For the dressing:
- 2 cloves garlic or 3 large cloves halved and lightly sautéed, if preferred
- ½ cup roasted red bell peppers ½ cup packed, from a jar
- 1 red chili or 1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons maple syrup or date syrup (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons water plus more to taste
For the salad:
- 1 ½ cups cooked black-eyed peas or 1 (15-ounce) can, drained and rinsed
- 1 small cucumber small dice
- 1 medium red bell pepper small dice
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EQUIPMENT
- 1 Blender or immersion blender
Instructions
- Soak the cashews (optional): Place them in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and soak for at least 15 minutes. Alternatively, soak in water in the fridge overnight. Skip this step if using a high-speed blender.
- Massage the greens: Add a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon to the chopped greens. Massage until softened.
- Make the dressing: Blend cashews, garlic, roasted red peppers, red chili pepper (if using), lemon juice, vinegar, maple syrup, smoked paprika, oregano, and water. Blend until smooth, adding more water until the desired consistency. Add salt to taste.
- Combine: Add black-eyed peas, cucumber, and bell pepper to the greens.
- Toss: Pour the dressing over and mix well.
Notes
- Substitute cashews with silken tofu, almonds, sunflower seeds, or hemp hearts for a similar creamy texture.
- Blend with an immersion blender. An immersion blender works well-just blend a bit longer for a creamy texture. Alternatively, use a high-speed blender and skip soaking the cashews.
- Cook the garlic for a milder flavor. Lightly sauté for 30 seconds until just golden to mellow the sharpness.
- Add a grain for a more filling meal. Toss with cooked quinoa, brown rice, or farro to turn this into a heartier, balanced bowl.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate. Nutritional values may vary depending on factors such as product types and brands used.
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Felicia Hirning says
My kind of recipe and can’t wait to try the dressing!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yay! Enjoy.