A quick to pull together salad that is vegetarian friendly, it is full of black-eyed peas that are cheap (er…frugal!) and nutritious. Frozen bags are available in most grocery stores, hidden with the boxes of frozen squash. They are almost always just the peas, unlike canned where they contain a lot of sodium. A 20 ounce bag is 6 servings and each serving has 5 grams fiber and 8 grams protein.
Edit note: After making the salad I added in oil to the dressing, it provides a better flavor.
Black-Eyed Peas and Rice Salad
Ingredients:
20 ounce bag frozen black-eyed peas
1 cup long grain white rice
1 tsp dried diced garlic
1 cup bell peppers, diced (frozen works fine)
1 medium can drained and sliced black olives (on can “3.8 ounces drained weight”)
Dressing:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
*edit* 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp honey or agave nectar
1 Tbsp dried onion
1 tsp dried cilantro
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt (if desired)
Directions:
Rinse the peas with cool water in a colander. Break apart and put in a large mixing bowl, toss with the bell peppers and olives.
In a small saucepan bring 2 cups water and the garlic to a boil, add in the rice, stir well and cover tightly. Turn the heat to low and let cook for 20 minutes. Take off the heat, fluff up and add to the peas. Stir well to mix up.
Whisk up the dressing, add salt to taste and more black pepper if desired. Drizzle the dressing over the rice and toss to combine.
Cover tightly and let chill for a couple of hours or overnight.
~Sarah