Let’s be honest. Black-eyed peas by themselves are pretty plain and don’t have much flavor, despite their reputation for bringing good luck. But when you mix them with chopped pimento-stuffed green olives, plenty of fresh basil, and a tangy lemon, mustard, and honey dressing, they become something truly special. This black-eyed pea salad is just begging to be the star at your next party, gathering, or New Year’s Day celebration. Whether you pile it high on triangle-sliced pita, scoop it up with crunchy tortilla chips, or simply eat it straight from the bowl as a side dish, this green olive salad is sure to be a hit.
Each year, when New Year’s Day rolls around, I find myself faced with what I like to call “The Black-Eyed Pea Dilemma.” To eat the bland, tasteless, little bean-shaped buggers, or to pass them by and risk a year without good luck, fortune, and prosperity. Honestly, it’s a tough call. However, nine times out of ten, I’m more than willing to risk a year of bad luck if it means that I get to ignore those nasty little buggers. The only time I have actually managed to swallow them down is when I am at someone else’s house, and they are put in front of me. I’m always willing to put a small, and I do mean small, spoonful of them onto my plate, so as not to seem rude or ungrateful. However, this year, one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to try to eat, cook, and actually enjoy foods that I am unfamiliar with or have never cared for. And black-eyed peas definitely fit into that category. And you know what I discovered? When added to several of my favorite ingredients, not only were they actually edible, but I daresay that I would be willing to eat them again and again. This black-eyed pea salad could quite easily become one of our New Year’s Day must-haves. So yeah, I guess we won’t have to worry about risking out on good luck, fortune, and prosperity anymore. Isn’t that a relief?
Ingredients:
- 1 (15.5-oz.) Can Black-Eyed Peas, Rinsed & Drained
- Heaping 1/3 Cup Small Pimento-Stuffed Green Olives, Roughly Chopped
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Basil, Very Finely Chopped (Divided)
- 1 Small Shallot, Peeled & Very Finely Chopped
- 1/3 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 1 Tablespoon Spicy Brown Mustard
- 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Pinch of Finely Ground Sea Salt
Directions:
- Place the rinsed and drained black-eyed peas in a medium glass bowl. Add the chopped green olives, 2 tablespoons of the chopped basil, and the entire chopped shallot.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, mustard, pepper, and salt until well combined.
- Add the dressing to the black-eyed pea mixture and gently stir to combine.
- Place in a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of chopped basil.
Suggestions:
- Make sure to rinse and drain the can of black-eyed peas. Try to drain off as much water as possible.
- Roughly chop the olives. It’s alright to have a few pieces that are larger than others.
- The onion flavor in this green olive salad is quite mild. One small shallot should yield approximately 3 tablespoons of finely chopped shallot. However, if you aren’t an onion fan, you can always use less.
- I used spicy brown mustard for this recipe; however, you could also use Dijon mustard.
- You can eat this salad immediately or refrigerate it and allow the flavors to meld.
Improvements:
- Serve this green olive salad as a salsa alongside tortilla chips or triangle-sliced pita.
- Add finely chopped green, yellow, or red pepper to this green olive salad.
- Serve this salad as a side dish with these Simple Oven-Baked Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloins or these Tortilla Crusted Baked Marinated Pork Chops.
- Fold a little bit of thawed frozen corn into this black-eyed pea salad.
Ingredients:
- 1 (15.5-oz.) Can Black-Eyed Peas, Rinsed & Drained
- Heaping 1/3 Cup Small Pimento-Stuffed Green Olives, Roughly Chopped
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Basil, Very Finely Chopped (Divided)
- 1 Small Shallot, Peeled & Very Finely Chopped
- 1/3 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 1 Tablespoon Spicy Brown Mustard
- 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Pinch of Finely Ground Sea Salt
Directions:
- Place the rinsed and drained black-eyed peas in a medium glass bowl. Add the chopped green olives, 2 tablespoons of the chopped basil, and the entire chopped shallot.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, mustard, pepper, and salt until well combined.
- Add the dressing to the black-eyed pea mixture and gently stir to combine.
- Place in a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of chopped basil.
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