This week I cooked with quite a few ingredients that I had never worked with before, one of them being black-eyed peas. Black-eyed peas, also known as cowpeas, are popular in the southern states and are often paired with collard or mustard greens. They are part of the legume family and provide a good source of fiber, potassium and iron. Black-eyed peas are often associated with good luck and eaten on New Years Day to bring prosperity in the New Year.

I made enough salad for a few meals and had it for lunch two different ways. The first day I had it warm, just after cooking the black eyed peas and eggs and the next day I had it cold served over a bed of spinach.

Balsamic Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Makes 3 Servings

• 1 and 1/2 cup black-eyed peas, cooked*
• 1 cup tomatoes, diced
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, diced
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons feta cheese

*Feel free to use fresh, frozen or canned black eyed peas. If using fresh or frozen, set aside enough time to boil or soak them. I used frozen peas and let them simmer for 40 minutes.

1. Mix all ingredients together, and there you have it!

Adapted from a recipe developed by Shara Aaron and Monica Bearden and featured in Food and Nutrition Magazine, Sept-Oct Issue, 2013.

Recipe by Megan Ware, RDN, LD. Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in The Woodlands, TX.