Recipe: Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese

This recipe, which I’ve adapted some from Sara Foster’s Fresh Everyday Cookbook, is one of my favorite salads, especially for fall. The roasted butternut squash makes it perfect for this time of year and the black-eye peas give it a southern flair.

I love black eye peas, although I suspect there aren’t many black-eye pea lovers out there. Of the band maybe, but not of the food. Even though I’m fond of them, I don’t eat them often and I should because they are a wonderful source of calcium, folate, and Vitamin A.

My all time favorite way to eat black-eye peas is with ketchup. I love lima beans with ketchup too. Wierd I know. Especially considering I’m not really one to put ketchup on things. In fact, I’m always berating my husband for squirting ketchup all over his hashbrowns.

Note: Butternut Squash are a pain to peel and cut up. You can buy the packaged pre-cut butternut squash. Usually the chunks are pretty big so you will still want to cut then in halves or thirds, but  much easier than wrestling with a whole buternut squash.

More Fall Salad Recipes

Salad with Gorgonzola and Hazelnut Stuffed Pears

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Autumn Salad with Pears, Blue Cheese, and Spicy Pecans

Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• leaves from 2 thyme sprigs
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 cups frozen black-eyed peas
• 1 red pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
• 1 jalapeno, cored, seeded, and diced
• Sweet and Spicy Vinaigrette
• 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 8 cups baby spinach

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butternut squash on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.
2. Roast for 20 minutes, or until soft all the way through. Stir halfway through to evenly brown.
3. Place black eye peas in a medium saucepan and put in enough water to cover by 3 inches. Season water with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until peas are just tender but not mushy. Drain.
4. Combine peas, roasted squash, bell pepper, jalapeno, and vinaigrette to taste in a medium bowl. Season to taste with pepper and additional salt if necessary.
5. To serve, place bed of baby spinach on plate, top with squash-pea mixture, and sprinkle with cheese.

Sweet and Spicy Vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup canola oil

1. Stir together all ingredients except oil in a medium bowl.
2. Slowly whisk in oil.