Southern Black Eyed Pea Salad (Printable Version)

Hearty black-eyed peas and brown rice tossed with crisp vegetables in a zesty lemon-mint dressing. Ideal for warm weather dining.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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

# Steps to Follow:

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.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It's the kind of salad that tastes even better the next day, making it perfect for meal prep without any extra effort.
  • No cooking skills required—just a knife, a bowl, and about twenty minutes before the vinaigrette does all the heavy lifting.
  • It travels beautifully to potlucks, picnics, or beach days without wilting or getting soggy like leafy greens do.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing canned peas—that starchy liquid will make your salad gummy and mute the bright flavors you worked for.
  • Cold rice can clump together and ruin the texture, so spread it on a plate to cool before mixing, or better yet, refrigerate it overnight so each grain stays separate.
03 -
  • Make the vinaigrette in a jar with a tight lid so you can shake it up again right before serving if the oil and lemon juice separate.
  • If you're bringing this to a gathering, pack the vinaigrette separately and dress the salad just before serving so it stays fresh and crisp instead of getting soggy.
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