Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Black-eyed pea salad combines piles and piles of healthy veggies with creamy black-eyed peas, jalapeños, avocado, cilantro, and a little sweetness from agave syrup. It’s gorgeous scooped over nachos, on a mound of quinoa, or just in a big bowl.

Adapted from Nadira Jenkins-El | Vegan Soul Food | Rockridge Press, 2020

Soul food gets a bad rap because it’s typically filled with unhealthy ingredients like butter, sugar, and meat and can use unhealthy preparations like deep-frying. Creating vegan soul food was important for me to prove to myself that I could still have all my favorite comfort foods. Being able to research and play around with so many exciting and new (to me) plant-based ingredients has opened a new door of creativity in the kitchen. My dishes and recipes are specifically designed to pay homage to classic soul food staples while using healthier ingredients and cooking techniques and without compromising the delicious flavors of traditional soul food.—Nadira Jenkins-El