Greek black eyed pea salad

Greek black eyed pea salad is a delicious, refreshing vegetarian salad that's very easy to make and is loved by everyone. This bean salad is perfect for picnics, potlucks, or just a simple lunch with the family.

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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 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.

Jump to:

• Ingredients required and substitute suggestions
• How to make Greek black-eyed pea salad?
• Can it be made with canned beans?
• How to cook dried beans at home?
• Is black-eyed pea good for your health?
• More easy vegan and vegetarian Mediterranean salad recipes
• Recipe

Ingredients required and substitute suggestions

To make this salad, you will be needing the following ingredients:

1. Black-eyed peas: Home-cooked/ canned
2. Feta: Crumbled or cubed
3. Olives: Use any variety you prefer. Just deseed them. You can add whole as well as sliced olives.
4. Fresh dill: Though dill is my favorite herb to add in 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: Both 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. Garlic
10. Olive oil: Preferably extra virgin olive oil
11. Dried oregano: Basil, thyme, or any other dried/ fresh herb can be used too.
12. Red chili flakes
13. Ground black pepper
14. Salt

How to make Greek black-eyed pea salad?

1. Finely chop all the vegetables and herbs. Mince garlic and make feta cubes.
2. Make the salad dressing by mixing olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, chili flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper.
3. Put the chopped vegetables, herbs, and feta cheese in a large bowl. Pour dressing on top, toss well. Enjoy!

Can it be made with canned beans?

Yes, both canned and home-cooked beans are fine to be used in this recipe. If using canned beans, rinse and strain it before adding to the salad. 

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. 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 before adding to the salad. 

Don't discard the water. It's very nutritious. Use it instead of plain water to knead any dough or use 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.

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.

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 salad

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Recipe