Black Eyed Pea and Corn Salad

A bold Southern salad delivering wonderful textures starring black-eyed peas, corn, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado with a luscious, sweet, citrusy salad dressing. An ideal make-ahead for tailgates, picnics, barbecues, and potlucks.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 252kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

Salad Dressing

1 medium orange
1 lemon
1 lime
1 teaspoon (5g) minced garlic
¼ cup (24g) minced onion
½-1 teaspoon (1-3g) ground cumin
¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
1 tablespoon (21g) honey
2-3 tablespoons (8-12g) fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley, basil, oregano, etc.)
salt and pepper to taste

The Salad

3-4 cups (500-700g) cooked black-eyed peas
1 15-ounce can whole kernel corn
½ cup (80g) diced red onion
1-2 cups (150-300g) cherry tomatoes, halved
1-2 cups (100-200g) chopped cucumbers
½ bell pepper, diced
1 small avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped

Instructions

The Salad

Juice the orange, lemon, and lime into a non-reactive bowl. Add the cumin, honey, garlic, onion, oil, and herbs. Whisk everything together, then adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Drain and rinse cooked black-eyed peas and place them in a large bowl. Repeat this process with the corn. Then, add diced cucumber, bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes.
Dice the avocado and drizzle with lemon to prevent discoloration before adding to the rest of the vegetables.
Pour the dressing over the salad, stir to coat, cover, and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving, stirring it occasionally to make sure the flavors meld.
Stir before serving.

Optionally Cooking the Beans

Rinse dried black-eyed peas, pick through, and discard any foreign objects.
Add them to a large pot, covering them with 3-4 inches of cold water. Soak overnight or for 2-3 hours.
Drain the soaked beans, rinse, and place the beans in a Dutch oven or pressure cooker. Cooking them on the stovetop takes 45 minutes to 1½ hours, depending on how fresh the beans are. The pressure cooker takes roughly 8-12 minutes to cook them.

Notes

If cooking the beans yourself, cook them until tender but not overcooked to avoid mushy beans.
You can add more flavor with herbs and spices like basil, thyme, ginger, chili peppers, and cayenne pepper.
Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition