Black-Eyed Pea Salad

This is a really delicious salad that is not like most.  I LOVE this rendition of black eyed peas and can't get enough of it!

Ingredients: 1 pkg. (12 oz) frozen black-eyed peas
6 large garlic cloves
1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 large green bell pepper, finely chopped (or use the whole pepper if you prefer)
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (or more)

Dressing Ingredients:
3 T fresh-squeezed lime juice (I used more to my liking)
3 T olive oil
1 tsp. Spike Seasoning (or use another multi-purpose seasoning blend)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. Ancho chile powder (or regular chile powder if you don't have Ancho)
1/4 tsp black pepper
salt to taste

Instructions:

Bring a couple cups of lightly salted water to a boil, add about 6 large garlic cloves and the frozen black-eyed peas, and simmer until the peas are tender, about 20-30 minutes.  Drain the peas into a colander placed in the sink and let them drain well.

While the peas cook, chop the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and cilantro, and thinly slice the green onions.  Stir together the lime juice, Spike Seasoning, ground cumin, chile powder, and a little salt and pepper, and then whisk in the olive oil to make the dressing.

When the peas are well-drained (blot dry with paper towels if you're in a hurry) put them in a bowl and add about 2/3 of the dressing, stirring until all the black-eyed peas are coated with dressing.  Add the other ingredients and mix gently to combine, then add more dressing as desired.  (If you like your salads on the dry side, you may not need all the dressing.)  Let salad chill in the fridge about 30 minutes before serving (if you can wait that long!)

This salad will keep in the fridge for several days, so I would recommend doubling the recipe and taking it to work for an easy lunch.

This is also good with a good vinaigrette added to it.  We have used Champagne vinaigrette when eating it.

 

Source:

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/10/black-eyed-pea-salad-peppers.html