Make My Black-Eyed Pea Salad For Good Luck In The New Year!

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WHAT A YEAR! So much has happened in 2020. We’ve all gone through a roller coaster of emotions that no one could’ve predicted in our lifetime. I hope everyone was able to celebrate the holidays in some form this year. While 2020 has brought on so much fear and uncertainty about the world, there were also a lot of amazing moments along the way. At the top of the list would be welcoming my granddaughter into the world! While we didn’t get to spend too much time with our families this year in person, virtual parties let us spend more quality time with loved ones than ever before.

My adorable granddaughter

Through it all, cooking has kept me sane. I’ve spent a lot of my time this year testing recipes from my cookbook and adding new ones. In 2021 I’m going to reissue my cookbook with updated recipes and several new chapters! I’m so grateful to all of you that have been following along the way.

I’m sure most of us will be keeping our New Year’s Eve celebrations low key this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep up the holiday traditions from the comfort of your own home! Speaking of traditions, my mother always used to make black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. This Southern custom of eating black-eyed peas is considered good luck, a tradition that dates back more than 1,500 years! Since the peas swell when they’re cooked, they’ve been known to symbolize prosperity for the year to come. We could all use a little bit of good luck in 2021!!

I have an easy recipe for a Black-Eyed Pea Salad that’ll take less than an hour to prepare. It’ll taste even better if you make it ahead of time!

New Year’s Black-Eyed Pea Salad
New Year’s Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Print Recipe New Year’s Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried black-eyed peas, picked over, see Note
  • 6 tablespoons cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1¼ teaspoons Tabasco Pepper Sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed through a press
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ small red onion, finely diced
  • 6 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Instructions

  • In a medium pot, cover the peas with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and once bubbling, boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the peas sit in the water for 15 minutes. Drain. This is a way to quickly “soak” the peas.
  • Put the peas back into a medium pot and cover with cold water. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat and cook gently, stirring once or twice, until just tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and transfer immediately to a medium bowl.
  • Add the oil, vinegar, Worcestershire, Tabasco, garlic and salt to the hot peas; toss well. Cool to room temperature. Stir in the onion and adjust the seasoning. Serve at room temperature. 
    Note: Six cups rinsed and drained canned black-eyed peas can be substituted.

I hope you’ll make this dish and join in on this wonderful Southern tradition! We all deserve a huge round of applause for making it to 2021! Let’s hope this new year can be a time for some much needed healing. Happy Holidays!

XO,

Pamela