Black-eyed pea salad with tomatoes, red pepper, red onion and jalapeño is a really simple, flavorful marinated side salad. It goes great with burgers and grilled chicken and is perfect for BBQ parties and potlucks.

I had a long weekend at the beach with my kids for Memorial Day, got home, repacked and now I'm off for my annual girls beach trip for another long weekend.

I'm totally rocking the start of summer this year! ☀️🏖

But let's move right along to the food.

Today I’m excited to share this black-eyed pea salad recipe that I started making a few summers ago. And I just keep coming back to it!

We’ve got black-eyed peas, some juicy diced tomato, sweet red bell pepper, crunchy red onion pieces, a small kick from the jalapeño and a super simple dressing to coat everything and bring it all together.

You make it ahead and let it marinate in the fridge to allow all those flavors to really combine and soak together. Soooo good.

I’m definitely on team “marinated salads for life” this summer.

Who’s with me?

Oh, and if you need some other inspiration, I’ve totally got you.

This marinated veggie salad is an old recipe of my mom’s that I just adore. It’s fresh and crunchy and bright and goes with everything.

My mom and I both also make and adore this black bean and mango salad. It’s great as an appetizer with chips, and can also be served as a side dish or a topping for grilled chicken.

And this cucumber tomato red onion salad is a must anytime I make shawarma or kabobs.

For lunch or pool days or lake days, I adore this Mediterranean chickpea salad that is light and healthy but also filling.

Today though, we’re going a little bit Southern. Cause black eyed peas are much adored in our parts and we love to find new ways to use them.

This recipe is based on one from the Neely’s of Food Network. I used to watch their show back in the day and always loved how adorable they were with each other.

Oh, and they make really amazing food, too.

And this black-eyed pea salad, like many of their recipes, is perfect for gatherings like potlucks and BBQs and summer cookouts.

It travels great, can be cold from the fridge or left out for a couple of hours, and it’s a great little summer side dish that goes with burgers, grilled chicken, you name it!

(For a similar flavor but in more of an appetizer form, check out this Mississippi caviar recipe that comes from my aunt. Add some tortilla chips and dip away!)

OK, let’s get fixing.

Now, I’ve got some notes and substitutions coming up on how to make black eyed pea salad. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Notes on making black-eyed pea salad:

• Black-eyed peas: We’re using a can that’s been drained and rinsed. Feel free to swap in some field peas or crowder peas; just make sure they have been fully cooked and are ready to go.
• Tomato: I opt for a roma tomato because they are easy to find and not so huge or full of seeds. You could use half of an heirloom tomato though if you prefer. And you could probably chop up some cherry or grape tomatoes for a swap as well.
• Red onion: I personally love some red onion, raw, cooked, pickled, however. But if you are sensitive to them or yours is especially pungent, chop the red onion and soak the pieces in cold water for about 5-10 minutes. Then drain the water off and use the onion.
• Jalapeño: Remove the seeds and ribs of the jalapeño if you want to tame the heat or leave them in if you want more of a kick.
• Vinegar: The recipe calls for rice wine vinegar and that’s what I’ve always used. However, I think white wine vinegar would be a fine swap if that’s all you have on hand.

Oh, and I should note that this recipe serves 4-6, depending on how many other sides you have and how big a scoop everyone takes.

However, you can also easily double the recipe to make more for a crowd.

And you might want to, seeing as how this is so super simple to make.

Just mix together the salad ingredients. Separately, whisk together the dressing. (Or put it in a jar and shake it up like I do.)

Add the dressing. Mix the salad to get everything coated. 

Cover it and tuck it in the fridge for a little marinade bath for at least a couple of hours and then you’re all ready to go! Yup, that’s it!

And if you need, you can absolutely make this a day or two ahead of time and then just pull it out and give it a good stir when you’re ready to serve it.

I love being able to prep and plan ahead when I can. And especially for parties or gatherings.

Also, as you would imagine, leftovers of this salad keep great.

Just keep it stored in the refrigerator, in a covered container, and it’ll be delicious for up to 5-7 days. Give it a good stir when serving to make sure everything is well coated.

Whether for a dinner side dish or a friends or family get together, I hope you give this black eyed pea salad a try.

It’ll be a great addition to your summer table.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn