Black-eyed peas are a healthy option to add protein to your meal without adding fat. This legume provides a negligible amount of fat while packing in a lot of fiber (7 grams in one cup) and a good amount of protein (about 5 grams in one cup). One cup of black-eyed peas deliver 20 percent of your daily needs of calcium and iron, and 52 percent of your daily folate needs (a vital nutrient for pregnant women).
Greek Black-Eyed Peas Salad Recipe
Makes 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 cups dry black-eyed peas (or two 15-ounce cans – see note below)
- Salt
- 1 (7 ounce) package of feta cheese
- 1 (8 ounce) jar of sun-dried tomatoes, in oil
- 1 cup black olives, preferably Kalamata or oil-cured
- 1 finely chopped green onion
- 1 finely chopped garlic clove
- 1 large bunch of spinach (about 1 pound), washed & chopped
- Zest and juice of a lemon
Preparation:
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt to make the water taste like the sea. Turn the heat down to low and add the black-eyed peas. Let them cook slowly, uncovered, until they are done, anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how old the peas are. Don’t let the water simmer.
- Add the spinach to a large bowl. Crumble the feta cheese into the bowl and add all the other ingredients except the lemon juice. Mix well.
- When the black-eyed peas are done, pour them into a colander and spray them with cold water to stop the cooking. Pick through and discard any loose skins or mashed peas; you’ll find a few, but hopefully not many.
- Add the black-eyed peas to the salad, mix well and serve. Squirt some lemon juice over each serving before you take them to the table.
NOTE: You can substitute canned black-eyed peas for the dry peas. Use approximately two 15-ounce cans. Rinse thoroughly. Skip step 1 and step 3 in the method instructions.