Healthy & Delicious: Black-Eyed Pea 'Caviar'
Note: On Mondays, Kristen Swensson of Cheap, Healthy, Good swings by these parts to share healthy and delicious recipes with us. Take it away, Kristen!
As part of our occasional series on mayonnaise-free summer salads, I wanted to delve into legumes. On one hand, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bean salad with mayo, making it a logical choice for a post. On the other hand, I’ve only tasted a handful of really good bean salads. Quite often, they’re just thrown into a bowl and drowned in a cup of sugar and a liter of oil. If it works for you, great. I’m not one to mock a person's preferred beanery.
However, I like my legumes with a little more joie de vivre. (Yes, beans can have a love of life. Why do you ask?) And when it comes to bean salads, it’s all about balance and freshness. A good one should look lively and appealing—not like it's already been sitting on the table for a week. Adding herbs and vegetables always helps, as do vinegar and moderate amounts of sweetener and olive oil.
Take YumSugar's black-eyed pea "caviar," for instance. For one thing, the legume of choice distinguishes the dish from your average three-bean salad. There's nary a wax bean to be found. For another, the tomatoes, peppers, and parsley give it a zesty, more vibrant taste. This is distinctly a summer salad, with all the flavors associated therein. Finally, a long marinating period means you can make it, forget about it, and enjoy the whole shebang days afterward. Bonus.
So, next time you want a salad, consider the humble bean. It’s more summery than you think.
Black-Eyed Pea 'Caviar'
- serves 10 -
Adapted from YumSugar.
Ingredients
3 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Salt and pepper
Procedure
1. Combine black-eyed peas, onion, peppers, tomatoes, parsley, vinegar, oil and sugar. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Marinate for 12 to 24 hours. Serve as a side salad or with crackers or tortilla chips.
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4 Comments:
I am all about bean salads—and I don't mean that awful too-sweet three bean variety sold at most deli counters—for summer dining. Whether a nicoise with cannelini beans and oil-packed tuna or a black-and-white bean salad with a cumin vinaigrette, you can't beat 'em for ease of preparation and deliciousness. Thanks for pointing this out!
GoodStuffNW at 1:04PM on 06/29/09
My friend makes a similar one, but also adds hominy and yellow corn. And It's very, very tasty! The addition of the hominy is so interesting -- so many are unfamiliar with it, so it's an unexpected surprise.
juliebugsmama at 1:11PM on 06/29/09
We had a chickpea/tomato salad last night with lemon and mint and some Shwarma? cumin, cinnamon, pepper, garlic spicing. It was delightful. Even the 3 year old ate it!
Elizabelle at 2:41PM on 06/29/09
I make a salad of cubed cucumber, cubed cooked beets, cubed feta cheese, a small amount of diced red onion, and chick peas, all mixed with homemade balsamic vinegrette containing mustard, garlic, oregano, pepper and a bit of sugar. Hearty and delicious.
creatrice at 3:19PM on 06/29/09