This black eyed pea salad with sweet tomatoes and juicy cucumbers is a light and refreshing salad for the summer. You’ll love the red wine and zesty vinaigrettes it’s tossed in!
Quick & Easy Black Eyed Pea Salad
This black eyed pea salad with light vinaigrettes and sharp blue cheese is the perfect cold pasta salad for the summer. It’s tossed with juicy cucumbers, sweet tomatoes, and spicy red onions for a colorful, crunchy bowl of goodness. The parsley, oregano, and zesty lemon even give it some Mediterranean flair. Keep it simple or top it with rotisserie chicken, but you’ll be filling up on veggies all summer long either way.
Why You’ll Love This Black Eyed Pea Salad with Orzo
This wholesome black eyed pea salad with tangy homemade vinaigrettes is proof that eating your veggies doesn’t have to be boring or bland.
- Refreshing. Enjoy it straight out of the fridge for a light summer salad.
- Hearty. It’s a pasta salad with black eyes peas and veggies to help you stay full all day.
- Great for meal-prep. This recipe is easy to prepare for the week because you only need to toss everything together.
- Crunchy. There’s fresh cucumbers and spicy red onions for a bit of texture in every bite.
Recipe Ingredients
Tangy vinaigrettes, herby parsley, and creamy black-eyed peas are the perfect flavor combination. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient amounts.
- Orzo – Use your favorite.
- Black-eyed peas – They can be homemade or canned (and rinsed).
- Tomato – Roma tomatoes are best, but heirloom tomatoes with most of the seeds removed work as well.
- Parsley – Feel free to use dried parsley but reduce the amount by half.
- Red-wine vinegar – White wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar is a good swap.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – This is also referred to as “EVOO”. Avocado oil works too.
- Cucumber – If you use Persian cucumbers, you don’t have to remove the seeds.
- Red onion – This one’s best, but white onion can be used.
- Lemon – You’ll need the zest and juice. Reduce the amount by half if you use limes.
- Oregano – Go for Italian oregano.
- Blue cheese – Goat cheese or feta are yummy swaps.
How to Make Orzo Black Eyed Pea Salad
All you have to do is whisk and toss the ingredients twice. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe card.
- Cook the orzo. Prepare the orzo according to package instructions. Drain and rinse well under cold water. Set it aside to cool completely.
- Make the red wine vinaigrette. Whisk the red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon oil, salt, pepper, and parsley in a large bowl until smooth. Add the black-eyed peas and tomatoes. Toss until completely coated. Let it sit for 15 minutes to marinate.
- Make the lemon vinaigrette. Whisk the remaining oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Toss it. Mix the orzo, cucumber, onion, and marinated black-eyed pea mixture together. Pour in the lemon vinaigrette and toss well.
- Serve. Gently fold in the blue cheese, serve immediately, and enjoy!
Tips & Variations
Add grilled chicken to turn it into a hearty dinner or lentils for some plant-based goodness.
- Add protein. Shredded rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken or turkey, and even crumbled tofu are great ways to make this salad heartier. Toss them with the salad or add them right before serving.
- Make it spicy. Crank up the heat with 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or chili oil to taste. Stir until well combined.
- Choose store-bought. If you’re in a rush and can’t make the vinaigrettes, buy a simple zesty vinaigrette and use it for the salad.
- Add more legumes. Cooked (and strained) lentils and chickpeas can quickly add more protein to your meal but also texture. I recommend adding 1/2-1 cup maximum.
- Use leftovers. Mix 1/2 cup chopped asparagus, artichoke hearts, roasted bell peppers, broccoli florets, etc into the salad to reduce food waste and add more flavor.
- Swap the pasta. Orzo’s great, but feel free to use ditalini, stelline, or small elbow macaroni to make this recipe instead.
Serving Suggestions
This black eyed pea salad is a light and refreshing dinner on its own. You can also serve it as a side for chicken, steak, pork, or fish mains. Try it with my Cilantro Lime Roasted Chicken or Monte Cristo Chicken. My Balsamic Roasted Pork Chops are great if you prefer pork. For steak, go for my Grilled Bison Ribeye. Finally, for fish options try my Pistachio Crusted Salmon or Baked Cod.
How to Store Leftovers
Place the salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Don’t worry about reheating it because it’s served chilled or at room temperature. Don’t freeze it because the orzo will soften too much once thawed. The cucumber and tomato will also have funny textures.
More Salad Recipes To Try
- Shirazi Salad
- Soba Noodle Salad with Shrimp
- Lemon Quinoa Salad Recipe
- Goat Cheese Roasted Beet Salad
Orzo Black Eyed Pea Salad
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup orzo I used tri-colored
- 1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup tomato diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 cup seedless cucumber halved lengthwise, cored, and diced
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano
- 1 cup blue cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain in a sieve and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well.
- Toss black-eyed peas, tomato, and parsley with vinegar, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Marinate, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toss together orzo, remaining tablespoon oil, cucumber, onion, lemon zest and juice, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add Pea mix, top with blue cheese and stir to combine.
Thank you! It is delicious, and great to pull out later and nibble on. I love wooden plates and bowls too!
I love to eat Salads, salads are quite tasty and also they are considered to be health foods. Salads are also great when you are on a diet. ,”*,
Best regards
http://www.healthmedicinelab.com“>
Thank you, Lavonne. Salads are wonderful, they are a great way to get your daily veggies. Growing your own lettuce makes throwing the salad together a breeze. Plus you know, no pesticides have been sprayed.
Amy
Would recommend Eden brand black-eyed peas, as their cans are BPA-free! Looks delicious.
Thanks for the tip. I look for them next time.