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    Home » Recipes

    Black Eyed Pea Dip (Easy Vegan Recipe)

    By: Amy Katz · Published: Dec 28, 2015 · Last modified: Jan 20, 2020 · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Cowboy Caviar's cousin, Black Eyed Pea Dip, is a chunky bean salad featuring avocado, green olives, corn, red bell pepper, and a tangy dressing. Enjoy this dish for luck on New Year's Day or anytime of the year.

    Black Eyed Pea Dip in a white bowl with a serving spoon

    This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

    Black eyed peas for a lucky new year

    Many cultures have traditional foods that are considered lucky to eat for a prosperous new year. For example, in some Asian countries, long noodles are eaten to lengthen one's life. And in Germany and Ireland, green cabbage is considered lucky in dishes like Savoy Cabbage Salad.

    Did you know that in the Southern United States, eating black eyed peas on New Year's Day is thought to bring good luck? The beans are traditionally eaten with collard greens and hot chili sauce.

    Another famous dish featuring the legumes is Texas Caviar, also known as Cowboy Caviar or Dixie Caviar. You can eat is as a chunky dip with tortilla chips or as a salad.

    One year I decided to make my own version of black eyed pea dip featuring some of my favorite ingredients, and I've been eating it ever since. Does it bring me luck? Possibly! But either way, it's hearty and delicious, and it's incredibly easy to make.

    Ingredients in a white bowl for making the bean dip and a bottle of hot sauce and wooden salad servers on the side

    Ingredients

    All of the ingredients needed to make black eyed pea dip are likely to be found at your neighborhood supermarket:

    • Black eyed peas (I typically take a short cut and buy these beans canned. But you can also cook them from dried using a stove top method. Or to use an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker, cook 1 cup pre-soaked black-eyed peas and 1 ½ cups water on high pressure for 3 minutes -- or 7 minutes for unsoaked -- and allow the pressure to release naturally.)
    • Corn (canned or frozen and defrosted)
    • Red bell peppers (or your favorite color)
    • Green onions (or substitute red onion)
    • Green olives (or substitute black olives)
    • Avocado (see below for dicing instructions)
    • Cilantro (omit or substitute parsley, if desired)
    • Lime juice
    • Hot sauce (such as TABASCO® Brand Pepper Sauce)
    • Olive oil
    • Ground cumin
    • Salt

    How to dice an avocado

    For this recipe, you will need to cut an avocado into cubes. Be sure to choose one that still has a little bit of the stem attached so you can check for ripeness. If the stem comes out with no resistance, check the color of the small circle under the stem:

    • Brown: the avocado is mostly likely overripe.
    • Light yellow: it’s not quite ripe yet.
    • Bright green: your avocado is ripe and ready to go!

    To dice the avocado:

    1. Lay the avocado on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocado lengthwise until you feel the knife hit the pit. Then rotate the avocado, keeping the knife steady, to make a cut all around the pit. Twist the two halves apart.
    2. Using the corner of the blade closest to the handle, carefully whack the knife into the pit, then twist and lift it out. Twist the knife to pull out the pit.
    3. Score the flesh of the avocado without piercing the skin. Score the avocado flesh in both direction, making squares, then scoop them out with a spoon.
    Hand holding a tortilla chip topped with black eyed pea dip

    Serving suggestions

    This recipe is high in fiber making it quite filling. Sometimes I enjoy it as a salad with other dishes or some crusty bread. I also love it scooped up with tortilla chips.

    Because it can be made in advance and refrigerated, it's fantastic for bringing to parties and potlucks. And since it's naturally vegan, even if the host doesn't serve other dishes you want to eat, you can make a meal out of this dip.

    It's also perfect as part of a vegan Mediterranean diet since it contains legumes, vegetables, and heart-healthy fats from avocado and olive oil.

    Storing

    Leftover black eyed pea dip can be covered and refrigerated for up to a week. I recommend making a batch for lunch meal prep.

    More bean dips and salads

    If you enjoy this recipe, be sure to check out these other dishes featuring beans and legumes:

    • Chickpea Avocado Salad with Mango
    • Middle Eastern Bean Salad
    • Cold Lentil Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
    • Cannellini Bean Salad
    • Chickpea Cucumber Salad with Olives

    And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration, and fun.

    If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ★★★★★

    Black Eyed Pea Dip

    Black Eyed Pea Dip (Easy Vegan Recipe)

    Cowboy Caviar's cousin, Black Eyed Pea Dip, is a chunky bean salad featuring avocado, green olives, corn, red bell pepper, and a tangy dressing.
    4.84 from 6 votes
    Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate Email recipe + ingredient list
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 202kcal
    Author: Amy Katz

    Ingredients

    • 2 cans black eyed peas, (3 cups) rinsed and drained
    • 1 can corn, (1 ½ cup) drained
    • 2 red bell peppers, chopped
    • 2 green onions, sliced
    • ½ cup green olives, sliced
    • 1 avocado, cubed
    • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
    • 3 Tablespoons lime juice
    • 1 Tablespoon TABASCO® Brand Pepper Sauce, (or your favorite hot sauce)
    • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • salt, to taste
    • tortilla chips, for serving (optional)
    • extra TABASCO® Brand Pepper Sauce, for serving (optional)
    US Customary - Metric
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    Instructions

    • Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss to combine.
    • Cover and refrigerate the dip until ready to serve. Enjoy with tortilla chips and extra TABASCO® Sauce, if desired.

    Notes

    Leftover dip can be covered and refrigerated for up to a week.
     
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 181mg | Potassium: 490mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1245IU | Vitamin C: 47.3mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2.2mg

    Nutritional information is an estimation only.

    Want to learn the 5 Secrets to Cooking the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Way? Join the the FREE 5-day mini course and get the secrets delivered to your inbox.

    « Angel Hair Pomodoro (Vegan Tomato Pasta)
    Vegan Breakfast Casserole »

    About Amy

    Amy Katz is a vegan recipe developer, photographer, and Certified Vegan Nutrition Health Coach. She loves sharing delicious plant-based Mediterranean diet recipes that home cooks of all levels can enjoy. Her easy vegan recipes have been featured on NBC News, Parade, VegNews, BuzzFeed, MSN, Greatist, PureWow, Brides, LIVEKINDLY, Insider, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more. She lives in Orange County, California with the love of her life, Brad, and their adorable black cat, Ozzy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    All commentsI made this
    1. Roberta

      December 29, 2020 at 11:57 am

      5 stars
      This is so easy and SO DELICIOUS!! I ate it in a small bowl without any chips at all. Spicy, creamy (avocado) and crunchy. I will definitely be making this again. SO yummy and good.

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        December 29, 2020 at 12:12 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Roberta!

        Reply
    2. Kathy

      December 28, 2020 at 9:35 pm

      4 stars
      I try not to use oil so I mashed the avocado to help the ingredients stick together and next time I will cut the red pepper smaller so everything is about the same size.

      Reply
    3. Stephanie

      January 02, 2020 at 9:51 pm

      5 stars
      So good! The substitutions worked out perfectly and were so helpful to be included. I shared (some) but otherwise devoured it mostly by myself in one day. Can’t wait to make it again!

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        January 03, 2020 at 10:43 am

        Fantastic, Stephanie! I'm so happy you enjoyed it.

        Reply
    4. Terry Keeble

      December 27, 2019 at 8:04 am

      5 stars
      I can taste it without having made it. It's going to be a HIT!

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        December 28, 2019 at 9:33 am

        Thank you, Terry!

        Reply
    5. Tara

      January 01, 2019 at 1:25 pm

      5 stars
      So easy and so delicious! Thank you for this great recipe!

      Reply
      • Amy

        January 01, 2019 at 4:19 pm

        Thanks so much, Tara!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Amy! As a Certified Vegan Nutrition Health Coach, my passion is creating vegan Mediterranean diet recipes to inspire everyone to choose plant-based meals more often. At Veggies Save The Day you'll find simple delicious recipes that are easy to make any night of the week.

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