Greek black eyed pea salad

Black-eyed pea or Lobiya as it's called in India is one of my favorite beans. Though my preferred way of eating it is as Indian lobiya curry, and black eyed peas curry with spinach, I also love making different dishes with it.

A few days ago I shared the recipe for a very easy vegan black-eyed pea salad, and today I am sharing the recipe for a vegetarian Greek-style black eyed bean salad.

This creamy lemony salad is very easy to make and is perfect for potlucks and picnics. Its refreshing flavors are loved by everyone.

Ingredients needed to make Greek black eyed peas salad

Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions

To make this salad, you will need the following ingredients:

1. Black-eyed peas: Both, Home-cooked or canned beans can be used.
2. Feta: You can cut feta cheese into small cubes or crumble it before adding to the salad.
3. Olives: Use any variety you prefer. Just deseed them for adding to the salad. You can add whole as well as sliced olives.
4. Fresh dill: Though dill is my favorite herb to add to Greek salads, if that's not available to you or you don't like dill, feel free to use any other fresh herb like cilantro or parsley.
5. Bell pepper: Any color can be used.
6. Lemon: For extra freshness, both lemon juice and zest can be added.
7. Tomato: Cherry tomatoes can be added too.
8. Onion: Preferably red but you can use whichever variety is available.
9. Olive oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for the best result.
10. Dried oregano: Basil, thyme, or any other dried/ fresh herb can be used too.

How to make this salad?

1. Finely chop all the vegetables and herbs.
2. Mince garlic and crumble feta cheese block or cut it into small cubes.
3. Make the salad dressing by mixing olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, chili flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper.
4. Put the chopped vegetables, herbs, and feta cheese in a large bowl. Pour dressing on top, and gently toss.

Your Greek-style black-eyed peas salad is ready to be enjoyed!

How to cook dried beans at home?

To cook dried beans at home, wash and soak them in water overnight or for at least 7 hours.  After 7 hours put them in a pressure cooker with water around 1 inch above the level of beans. 

Cook until 3 whistles of the pressure cooker on a medium flame. 1 cup of dried beans will yield around 2 cups of cooked beans.

Black-eyed peas get cooked faster than other beans like kidney beans or chickpeas. So cook them for a lesser time. Also, in the salad, we don't want mushy beans. They should retain their shape but easily get pressed between two fingers.

Allow the beans to reach room temperature then strain them before adding to the salad. 

Serving tips

This Greek bean salad can be enjoyed just like that as a meal.

You can serve it with a warm bread of choice on the side. Or, just serve it on top of lettuce.

It can also be served with a couscous, quinoa, or rice dish with it.

This salad goes well with almost every Greek main dish.

Make ahead tips

Feta cheese starts turning the whole salad milky if left in the salad for long. So, it's best to consume the salad within 24 hours of making it.

If you want to do some preparation in advance, cook the beans and refrigerate them. They will be fine for 3-4 days.

The dressing can also be made a day in advance.

Add the remaining ingredients only on the day when you plan to serve this salad.

Recipe tips and tricks

• Make sure not to overcook the beans if using them in salads otherwise, they will turn mushy while tossing the ingredients.
• Black-eyed peas and feta both are very soft and can turn mushy easily so toss this salad gently.
• As feta cheese is already very salty, add more salt carefully.
• For extra flavor, use marinated feta cheese in this recipe.
• If you have cooked beans at home, don't discard the water in which they were cooked. It's very nutritious. This water can be used instead of water in stews and curries. Just keep in mind that though this water will make your dish more nutritious it will change the color of the dish.
• You can make a similar Greek-style bean salad using any other bean of your choice too like chickpeas, black beans, or kidney beans.

Vegan note: For a vegan version of this Mediterranean bean salad just skip feta cheese, it still tastes amazing.

Is black-eyed pea good for your health?

Though I am not a nutritionist, I have heard a lot of health benefits of a black-eyed pea from my mother, grandmother, and other elders in my family.

It's one of the most frequently eaten beans from the Himalayan region of India where I come from (Uttarakhand). And, I have seen people living a very healthy life there. Though this bean is not the only reason for that.

So, I also consider it a very nutritious protein-rich vegan ingredient and cook it regularly in my kitchen.

However, if you are interested in more researched information from qualified sources, you can check the health benefits of black eyed peas from sites like this.

Other frequently asked questions

More easy vegan and vegetarian Mediterranean salad recipes

Want to try more easy refreshing Mediterranean salad recipes? Don't miss to check the following links:

1. Greek white bean salad
2. Beet salad with feta
3. Greek potato salad
4. Classic Greek salad
5. Watermelon feta salad
6. Mediterranean lentil salad
7. Pomegranate and feta salad
8. Orzo salad with feta and chickpeas