BLACK-EYED PEA SALAD

Black-Eyed Pea Salad image

This salad is inspired by a Greek recipe that calls for lots of herb fennel. I couldn't find herb fennel, so I added a thinly sliced fennel bulb to the mix. Along with its refreshing flavor, the fennel bulb contributes a delightful contrasting crunchy texture. It's a great salad with or without the tomatoes.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Time 2h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

1 cup black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked over
3 large garlic cloves, 2 of them crushed and left in the skin, 1 of them minced
1/2 onion, intact
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
2 medium tomatoes, in season only, diced
1 medium fennel bulb (about 1/2 pound), trimmed, quartered, cored and sliced very thin across the grain
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
1/3 cup chopped chives
2 ounces feta, crumbled

Steps:

Place the black-eyed peas, whole crushed garlic cloves, halved onion and bay leaf in a large, heavy saucepan and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until tender but intact, about 45 minutes. Remove from the heat, remove the lid and allow the black-eyed peas to cool for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the onion. Remove the garlic cloves, squeeze the cooked garlic out of the skins and back into the black-eyed peas, and drain through a strainer set over a bowl.
Transfer the black-eyed peas to a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, minced garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and olive oil. Toss with the beans. Add the remaining ingredients except the feta and toss together. If you want a bit more liquid with the beans, add back some of the broth (I found the dressing to be sufficient). Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the feta over the top and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 210, UnsaturatedFat 10 grams, Carbohydrate 18 grams, Fat 14 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 5 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 512 milligrams, Sugar 6 grams