This Turkish Black Eyed Pea Salad recipe is so easy with a tasty mix of black eyed peas, red bell pepper, scallions, olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper for a delicious side dish.
Simple Turkish mezes can make up an entire meal in Turkey – enjoy a sampling with bread, wine, and friends!
I can’t believe it’s already been a year since I visited Turkey!
I remember stepping off the boat at the port in Istanbul and thinking… oh, cool. Rain.
As a Portlander, you would think that I would wrap myself in a rain jacket and battle through it. Alas, I don’t like the rain… and my hair absolutely hates it.
I ducked into the Grand Bazaar and whittled away the hours perusing lanterns, textiles, and jewelry.
After the bazaar, I decided to hit up the spice market and find some saffron and sumac to bring back home.
Laden down with spoils, I weaved through narrow streets in search of Turkish coffee and lunch. Steam poured into the streets as rain dripped from cafe overhangs. Patrons in leather jackets tore at sesame seed-studded bread rings as I edged my way into a small restaurant.
I ate my fill in Turkey, knowing I’d need to bring home memories of the cuisine as well as the culture. As in Greece, shared small plates were my preferred dining option.
This black eyed peas salad, simple as it may be, is as satisfying as it is flavorful. Typically served as one of many shared plates, or mezes, it is also lovely alongside roast chicken or steamed fish fillets.
Try this black eyed beans Turkish recipe once, and you’ll find yourself making excuses to make it again!
Don’t forget to pin it to Pinterest:
Turkish Black Eyed Pea Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 14-ounce can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup chopped red bell pepper - about ½ a large pepper
- 3 scallions - thinly sliced on the diagonal
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In the bottom of a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.
- Add the peas, bell pepper, and scallions to the bowl. Toss to coat in the dressing.
- Taste and add pepper as desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Nutrition

This Turkish Blacked Eyed Pea Salad recipe is also known as a Turkish black eyed bean salad recipe.
I whipped this up for a pot luck earlier this week. It was fast and easy, and looked beautiful. I used canned black eyed peas and I did add some wonderful feta which made it even more beautiful. There was just enough left over for me to have lunch! I will definitely bring this again to any potluck as it is a great meat alternative.
Istanbul was one of our favorite places too!!! My mom’s grandmother is from Turkey so it was amazing to visit there a few years ago as well! I grew up on some of the food but fell in love with the true culture!