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This tasty Black Bean Salad with Black-Eyed Peas also has peppers, red onions, and cilantro, and this will bring luck on New Year’s Day. But if you like black beans and black-eyed peas, this is also a tasty salad to enjoy any time of year!

PIN the Black Bean Salad with Black-Eyed Peas to try it later!

Black Bean Salad with Black-Eyed Peas shown in serving bowl with serving spoon and salt-pepper shakers

You may have noticed I’m an enthusiastic follower of the tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Eve for good luck! And this Black Bean Salad with Black-Eyed Peas that I first made after a friend described it to me at a party has become one of my absolute favorite ways to eat Black-Eyed Peas!

And if you’re someone who eats dried beans occasionally this is a delicious salad to enjoy all year round; this is also great for a summer salad if you like black beans and black-eyed peas! It’s also so quick and easy to make, and so, so flavorful!

In fact, when Kara and I updated the recipe recently with new photos we both had two helpings (which is something that absolutely never happens on recipe-testing days where we quickly get full with too much food to try!) I hope you’ll try this salad soon.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

What makes Black Bean Salad with Black-Eyed Peas extra flavorful?

One thing that makes this salad with black-eyed peas really work is cutting the diced red and green bell peppers as small as the beans, so every bite of salad has some crunch and the full blend of flavors.

Should you use frozen black-eyed peas for the salad?

Making this salad with canned black beans and black-eyed peas is easy and convenient. But if you prefer a firmer texture for the black-eyed peas, buy the frozen ones and cook one cup according to package directions.

Can you omit cilantro in the Black Bean Salad with Black-Eyed Peas?

I know cilantro is a total no for some people, and if you’re one of those people who doesn’t enjoy cilantro I’d suggest replacing it with thinly sliced green onion in this salad. Or just skip the cilantro completely and the recipe will still be great.

What if you don’t have White Balsamic Vinegar?

I love the mild flavor of white balsamic vinegar in salad dressings, but if you don’t have it just use white wine vinegar with a pinch of sweetener in this Black Bean Salad with Black-Eyed Peas.

Want more ways to get some New Years good luck?

Check out Black-Eyed Pea Recipes for Good Luck in the New Year for more tasty luck-inducing black-eyed peas recipes!

Black Bean Salad with Black-Eyed Peas process shots collage

How to make Black Bean Salad with Black-Eyed Peas:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. This salad is completely fine with canned black-eyed peas, but when I have time I like to use the frozen ones and cook them according to package directions.
  2. For canned beans, drain the black beans and black-eyed peas together into a colander in the sink and rinse well with cold water.
  3. Mix up the spicy dressing with cumin, Ancho chile pepper, lime juice, white balsamic vinegar, and Spike. (See the recipe for suggestions if you don’t have one of those ingredients.)
  4. Mix 1/4 cup of the spicy dressing into the drained black beans and black eyed peas and let them marinate while you prep the other salad ingredients.
  5. Finely dice the red and green bell pepper and the red onion, making the pieces the same size as the beans. 
  6. Chop the cilantro (or slice green onions).
  7. Then stir peppers and red onion into the bean mixture.
  8. Stir chopped cilantro or green onion it into the bean-pepper-onion mixture.
  9. Add more dressing to taste, season with salt and pepper, and serve!

Black Bean Salad with Black-Eyed Peas shown in serving bowl with spoon and salt-pepper shakers

Make it a Meal:

This Black Bean Salad would make a great side dish for Instant Pot Southwestern Pot Roast, Low-Carb Flank Steak Tacos, or Spaghetti Squash Low-Carb Taco Bowl. Or serve it as part of a New Year’s Day holiday spread if you want some black-eyed pea luck in the new year.

Weekend Food Prep:

This black bean and black-eyed pea salad recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

More Recipes with Lucky Black-Eyed Peas:

Black Bean Salad with Black-Eyed Peas shown in serving bowl with serving spoon and salt-pepper shakers
Yield: 8 small servings

Black Bean Salad with Black-Eyed Peas

Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Black Bean Salad with Black-Eyed Peas is a salad that tastes great any time of year, and this tasty salad is quick and easy to make. And it's also a fun idea for getting some good luck on New Year's Day.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • one 15 oz. can black beans
  • one 15 oz. can black-eyed peas (see notes)
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped into pieces the same size as beans
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped into pieces the same size as beans
  • 1 small red onion, chopped into pieces the same size as beans
  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped (see notes)
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp. Spike seasoning or other all-purpose seasoning blend
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. ground Ancho chile pepper (see notes)
  • 3 T fresh lime juice 
  • 2 T white balsamic vinegar (see notes)
  • 6 T olive oil
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook frozen black-eyed peas if that's what you're using.
  2. For canned beans, simply drain black beans and black-eyed peas into a colander placed in the sink, rinse with cold water until no more foam appears, then let beans drain at least 5 minutes.
  3. While beans drain, put  Spike seasoning, ground cumin, and ground Ancho chili pepper in a small bowl, then add lime juice and white balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. Whisk in the olive oil until dressing ingredients are well combined.
  4. Remove drained beans from colander (blot dry with paper towel if they still seem wet) and put them in a bowl large enough to hold all the salad.
  5. Mix 1/4 cup of dressing mixture into the beans and let them marinate while you chop the peppers, onions, and cilantro.
  6. Chop red and green bell pepper and red onion into small pieces about the size of beans.
  7. I cut off the stem and bottom end of the peppers, cut out the seeds, then cut a slit down one side of the pepper and flatten it out for an easy way to cut small pieces like this.
  8. Wash cilantro (or green onions) and spin dry in salad spinner or dry with paper towels if needed, then chop cilantro (or slice green onions.)
  9. Add chopped peppers and red onion to the beans.
  10. Then stir in chopped cilantro or sliced green onion.
  11. Add additional dressing until the salad is as moist as you’d like it. (You might not need all the dressing, but save it to re-moisten any leftover salad after it’s been refrigerated.)
  12. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, and serve.
  13. The salad can also be made ahead and chilled before serving.

Notes

If you prefer to use frozen black-eyed peas for a firmer texture, just cook them according to package directions.

I used my fresh-frozen lime juice.

Cilantro is definitely optional, replace with sliced green onion or simply omit.

I love the flavor of ground Ancho chile (affiliate link), but use any chili powder or ground chile you have on hand that's not too spicy.

You can use white wine vinegar with a pinch of sweetener if you don't have white balsamic vinegar (affiliate link).

This salad inspired by my friend Lori’s description of her favorite easy bean salad.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 221Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 1.5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8.8gCholesterol 0mgSodium 546mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 8gSugar 4.1gProtein 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

© Kalyn Denny
Category: Salads
square thumbnail image of finished Black Bean Salad with Black-Eyed Peas

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This tasty and lucky salad with black beans and black-eyed peas has beans combined with healthful fresh ingredients and is a perfect choice for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. Black beans and black-eyed peas have some carbs, but they do have fiber so check the net carbs to see if this is too much of a splurge for you.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Dried Beans or Salad Recipes for more recipes like this one.Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for Black Bean Salad was posted in 2009. It was updated with better photos in 2021 and was last updated with more information in 2024.

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