38 blackeyed pea recipes

Winter greens can be bitter but not when cooked this way. Perfectly complimentary flavors and belly filling warmness. If you've never tried collard greens before this recipe is more than worth the effort.

Spicy black-eyed peas simmered with cumin, chili powder, dry mustard, canned tomatoes, and Tabasco. A quick Southern side dish served over rice or with grits.

Black-eyed peas and barley: a healthy one-dish casserole with onions, celery, pearl barley, and bay-thyme-rosemary herbs. Vegetarian and high-fiber, Southern-inspired and ready in just over an hour.

Black-eyed peas with fresh spinach sauteed in vegetable broth with a pinch of cayenne. A low-fat vegetarian side dish ready in 20 minutes flat.

Crispy Cuban-style fritters made from soaked black-eyed peas blended with garlic into a thick batter, fried golden, and finished with a squeeze of fresh lime. Vegetarian, gluten-free, and seriously addictive.

Southern black-eyed peas simmered low and slow with smoky ham, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and a bay leaf. A one-pot comfort dish with just the right kick of crushed red pepper.

Southwestern black-eyed peas simmered with diced carrots, onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and hot sauce. A simple, flavorful side dish ready in 30 minutes.

One-pot black-eyed peas and barley pilaf simmered in vegetable stock with thyme and parsley. A hearty vegetarian main dish loaded with fiber and ready in 30 minutes.

A no-cook Southern-style salad with black-eyed peas, chopped ham, celery, red onion, and fresh jalapeño in a tangy red wine vinegar dressing. Ready in minutes, feeds a crowd, and gets better as it sits.

Black-eyed pea soup slow-simmered with a ham bone for New Year's Day good luck. Creamy, smoky, and served over white rice in the Southern tradition.

If you're not in the mood for meat, try this scrumptious dish made with black eyed peas, squash, chili peppers and corn.

A colorful salad of black-eyed peas tossed with wild rice, white rice, tomatoes, bell pepper, and corn in a fresh oregano-thyme vinaigrette. Feeds a crowd and tastes even better the next day.

Black-eyed pea and crab salad with bacon, roasted peppers, and fresh herbs in a bright vinaigrette. A Stephan Pyles-style Southwestern recipe served on gorditas or crisp tortillas.

Wild rice and black-eyed pea salad with yellow bell pepper, jicama, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes in a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette with rosemary. No oil, no cooking required.

Along the coast of the Southern US eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a year filled with luck and prosperity. The beans symbolize coins or pennies. Sometimes a penny is added to the pot or can be left under the bowls of Hoppin' John. Greens such as Collards, chard or kale can be added and symbolize the color of money and are said to add to ones wealth in the new year. The day after New Year's Day the leftovers are called "Skippin' Jenny," and further demonstrates one's frugality. A common tradition in the south US is each person at the meal should leave three peas on their plate to ensure the New Year will be filled with Luck, Fortune and Romance. Another tradition holds that counting the number of peas in a serving predicts the amount of luck (or wealth) that will be collected over the next year.

Black beans and black-eyed peas tossed with jalapeños, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, and fresh cilantro in zesty Italian dressing. No cooking required. The ultimate game day dip for a crowd.