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Celebrate New Year's Day with these healthy, hearty, super delicious recipes featuring black-eyed peas; one complete meal and two fabulous salads you'll want to make all year long!
If you don't live in the US, particularly south of the Mason-Dixon line, you might not be familiar with black-eyed peas or their supposed ability to bring good luck if you make them part of your New Year's Day diet. Southern Living Magazine (an iconic Southern lifestyle magazine) explains it like this: "According to Southern food researcher John Egerton's Southern Food: At Home, On the Road, In History, black-eyed peas are associated with a "mystical and mythical power to bring good luck."
Although we don't believe in "luck", here at The Café (but rather rely on a Higher Power for our well-being), we think it's fun to have some interesting culinary traditions. That's why we're sharing three of our favorite blacked-eyed pea recipes today. One of them is a complete meal and the other two are fabulous, flavorful sides that go with soups, salads, and sandwiches. Add a protein and you've got a healthy, delicious lunch or casual dinner entreé!
If black-eyed peas (aka cowpeas, black-eyed beans, or goat peas) haven't been a part of your regular diet, there are lots of (non-superstitious) health benefits they can add to your menu planning. Black-eyed peas are super rich in fiber and protein, making them an excellent energy source. They're also a rich source of complex carbs, which take longer to digest than simple carbs which means they keep you satisfied longer and can therefore help with weight loss. (Sourced from Nourish by Webb MD.)
This Easy Black-Eyed Pea Salad, with a sweet and tangy dressing, is perfect for New Year's - but will also bring rave reviews at picnics, potlucks and family get-togethers all year long!
This healthy, delicious version of Hoppin' John is a celebratory meal that's loaded with fresh veggies in addition to the traditional black-eyed peas, pork and rice - the best of both worlds!
This Mexican Corn and Bean Salad is a delicious, South-of-the-Border way to experience black-eyed peas. It's wonderful for potlucks and makes a fabulous side for sandwiches and grilled entreés but it can also be served with a big bowl of chips for a "healthier" game-day or party snack option.
Thought for the day:
Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,
and today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoy any of these recipes, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Sylvia, there are two salads. One has a sweet and tangy dressing. The other is a Mexican-inspired salad. They do look similar but are very different in flavor.
Sylvia says
We are fans of black-eyed peas, so were eager to see these recipes. However, I could only find 2 recipes in this article titled, Three Healthy Black-Eyed Pea Recipes; Delicious Ideas for Celebrating New Year's Day! I suspect it was there and I just missed it!! the Hoppin' John and Black Pea salad look delicious, and we will give those a try! Thank you.
Maria says
Yes.. I see only two recipes too:)
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Maria, as I mentioned to Sylvia, there are two salads - they look similar but are acually quite different.
https://thecafesucrefarine.com/easy-black-eyed-pea-salad/
https://thecafesucrefarine.com/mexican-corn-and-bean-salad/
And lastly the Hoppin' John:
https://thecafesucrefarine.com/three-delicious-black-eyed-pea-recipes-a-fun-way-to-celebrate-new-years-day/