Name: Black-Eyed Pea Salad With Hot Sauce Vinaigrette
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon yellow mustard; 1 tablespoon hot sauce; 1 teaspoon honey; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 6 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained; 2 mini cucumbers, cut into ½-inch dice; ½ sweet onion, finely chopped; 1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved; ¼ cup picked fresh dill

Photo of black eyed pea salad on a plate with a fork.

Photo & Food Styling by Joseph De Leo

Black-eyed peas hold a special significance in the heart of every African-American. We eat them for good luck on New Year’s in a rice dish known as hoppin’ John. That tradition comes from a long history of black-eyed peas symbolizing luck and prosperity in Africa, where they’re part of spiritual ceremonies too. They’re a part of our culinary DNA. And they’re delicious.

Black-eyed peas are tender, skin to center, and this helps them soak up sauces. Because they’re nice and mild, I drench them with a hot sauce dressing, honeyed yet sharp with garlic and mustard. In this salad, cucumbers and onion balance the peas’ creaminess with crunch, and tomatoes burst juiciness. Down South, we call this a sitting salad. It can sit on the summer picnic table without wilting, so it’s the perfect potluck dish. Get ready for this salad to become one of your favorites.