Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Happy New Year, and welcome to 52 Weeks of Mason Jar Salads!  I wish you all a happy and healthy 2017, however "happy" and "healthy" feels to you.  Me?  I'm always working towards less stress, more sleep, more exercise, more laughs, and more vegetables!

Eating black-eyed peas in the new year is said to bring luck and prosperity.  Although I'm not a terribly superstitious person, black-eyed peas are nutritious and delicious ... who am I to mess with tradition?  While black-eyed peas are typically cooked with collard greens and ham hocks, I decided to keep the collards raw in this salad, and swap in some smoked paprika for the salty, fatty pork product.  This vegan salad is loaded with crunchy, colorful veggies, low-fat protein, and spicy-smoky flavors!

YIELD: 4 quart-sized salads

INGREDIENTS:

• 4-6 tbsp red wine vinegar (to taste)
• 4-6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (to taste)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp hot sauce
• kosher salt and black pepper (to taste)
• 4 cups cooked black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, sliced or chopped
• 1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 large bunch collard greens, stemmed and shredded
• tortilla chips, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the marinated black-eyed peas: whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, garlic, paprika, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.  Fold in the black-eyed peas, parsley, and jalapeño.
2. Pack the salads: divide the marinated black-eyed peas evenly between 4 tall quart-sized containers.  Layer the red onion, red bell pepper, tomato, and collards in the jars.  Pack a few tortilla chips in a snack-sized zip-top bag for each salad.  Refrigerate until serving.
3. Enjoy your salad: invert your salad onto a plate or into a bowl.  Top with lightly crushed tortilla chips.

TIME-SAVING TIPS: Use 2 15-ounce cans of black-eyed peas in place of the cooked black-eyed peas.  Use pre-washed, bagged collard greens if available in your area (or substitute pre-washed, bagged baby kale for the collard greens.)

SPECIAL DIET SWAPS: This salad is vegan as-is.  For gluten-free diners, choose 100% corn tortilla chips, oil, vinegar, and hot sauce labeled "gluten-free."

Food styling, photography, and infographics by Robert Campbell.