Black Eyed Pea & Ham Salad

Y’all, this is the salad you bring to every cookout and come home with an empty bowl. Black-eyed peas and salty chopped ham tossed with crunchy celery, sharp red onion, and just enough fresh jalapeño to wake things up.

The dressing is nothing fancy: red wine vinegar, a little oil, and a clove of garlic. That’s it. Simple food done right.

Let it sit at room temperature for an hour before serving. The peas soak up all that tangy, garlicky goodness and the flavors come together into something way bigger than the sum of its parts.

Kitchen Tips

• Use canned black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained well. This is a no-cook recipe, so skip the dried beans unless you’ve cooked them ahead.
• Chop the jalapeño fine. You want a gentle heat spread through the whole salad, not big fiery bites.
• Flat-leaf parsley adds a fresh, grassy note that ties everything together. Don’t leave it out.
• This salad serves 14, so it’s built for potlucks. It holds up well without wilting, even sitting out on a buffet table.