Food and Recipes Cooking Tips and Techniques 22 Ways With Summer-Fresh Field Peas By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 11, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Jennifer Davick Though we still indulge in our favorite Southern side casseroles throughout the summer—hello, Old-School Squash Casserole—we also like to make the most of the fresher-than-fresh bounty that can be found at the farmers' market, the local farmstand, your garden, and even the grocery store. And when it comes to summer side dishes made the Southern way, you really can't go wrong with fresh field peas flavored with ham hock, paired with tomatoes, made into a melty dip, or thrown into a pasta salad. So step outside the casserole dish this season with one of these super delicious summer pea recipes, starting with a smoky field pea dip and following up with everything from Lady Pea Salad to Classic Hoppin' John. With so many varieties, the options are endless. 01 of 23 Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad with Field Peas Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad with Field Peas This lemony pasta salad with field peas will be your new favorite side dish to serve all summer long. 02 of 23 Classic Fresh Field Peas Photo: Iain Bagwell Recipe: Classic Fresh Field Peas Smoky ham hocks enrich any broth, and in this case yields a delicious pot of field peas. If you're adventurous, try smoking your own hocks—they will yield roughly double what you'll get from the store-bought stuff. 03 of 23 Classic Hoppin' John Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton Recipe: Classic Hoppin' John Traditionally, Hoppin' John is a one pot recipe, but you'll be happy to use our two pot method once you see how tender and delicious it turns out. Everything else about this recipe remains classic, from the rice to the peas. 04 of 23 Smoky Field Pea Hummus Iain Bagwell Recipe: Smoky Field Pea Hummus Trust us, this will be your new go-to summer dip. Use any legume you like. 05 of 23 Field Pea Fattoush Salad Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Field Pea Fattoush Salad Made with toasted pita instead of croutons or cornbread, this panzanella-esque salad is filled with all the good stuff, like heirloom cherry tomatoes, cucumber, fresh field peas, chopped romaine, and mint. 06 of 23 Southwest Black-Eyed Pea Dip Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christina Lane; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Southwest Black-Eyed Pea Dip This is a melty party dip worth celebrating—and everyone else will want to get in on the good times, too. 07 of 23 Southern Cobb Salad with Cornbread Croutons Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Southern Cobb Salad with Cornbread Croutons This Southern spin on the classic cobb adds cornbread croutons and black-eyed peas into the mix. Don't worry, there's still plenty of bacon and bleu cheese piled on as well. 08 of 23 Reunion Pea Casserole Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Reunion Pea Casserole We call this a "grandma-approved casserole." Because it's packed with all of her favorite things, like sausage, cheese, squash, peas, and—of course—butter. 09 of 23 Field Pea and Pasta Salad Greg DuPree Recipe: Field Pea and Pasta Salad Farfalle and fresh veggies make a delicious summer side. Mix the dressing up to three days in advance; then toss when ready to serve. We like using mini farfalle in this recipe so that all of the ingredients are about the same size, but swap in any pasta shape you like. 10 of 23 Marinated Field Pea Relish Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen Recipe: Marinated Field Pea Relish Spice up your next barbecue with this versatile condiment. Perfect for anything fried, grilled, or fresh from the garden—it's just that good and easy; no special jars or canning required. 11 of 23 Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Salad Jennifer Davick Recipe: Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Salad Peppery watercress fills in for traditional greens—while fresh peaches, cilantro, and black-eyed peas add extra flair. 12 of 23 Hoppin' John Salad Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Hoppin' John Salad Try this fresh take on Hoppin' John with fresh mint, parsley, and jalapeño peppers. It's the perfect side for any summer dish. 13 of 23 Field Pea Salad with Tomatoes and Feta Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Recipe: Field Pea Salad with Tomatoes and Feta This salad uses fresh lady peas or purple hull peas, but feel free to use your favorite variety of field pea. Try to source field peas locally if you can, visit the farmers markets and farm stands where you'll often find them pre-shelled. 14 of 23 Easy Black-Eyed Peas Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis Recipe: Easy Black-Eyed Peas This recipe can be made using dried, fresh, or frozen peas. Make sure to season that broth well, because if your broth is tasty, your beans will be too. 15 of 23 Summer Hoppin' John Salad Photo: Iain Bagwell Recipe: Summer Hoppin' John Salad A New Year's tradition, Hoppin' John is usually served hot, but this cool salad is perfect for a summer picnic or lunch, or as a side salad for grilled meats. Feel free to sub your favorite cooked whole grain instead of rice. 16 of 23 Field Pea, Corn, and Bacon Salad Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Field Pea, Corn, and Bacon Salad All the flavors of summer in a salad. Serve this bright and light recipe as a side dish alongside grilled shrimp, chicken, or steak or make it a main dish by tossing in a few handfuls of mixed baby greens. 17 of 23 Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas Photography and Styling: Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas Once you try this method, you'll never go back to the stovetop. This recipe uses dried peas, which take hours to cook traditionally, but with the help of an Instant Pot, can be ready to serve in under an hour. 18 of 23 Seared Steak-and-Field Pea Salad Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Seared Steak-and-Field Pea Salad A cast-iron skillet does double duty in this recipe, as both the perfect vehicle for searing the steak and charring the vegetables. The lightly charred corn and bell peppers are a smoky addition to the light, bright field pea salad. 19 of 23 Lady Pea Salad Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Recipe: Lady Pea Salad You'll want to find Lady Peas for this salad. Other kinds of field peas won't be as mild or creamy, which is exactly what this bright summery salad needs. If you can't find Lady Peas, Purple Hull, Zipper, or Pink Eye varieties will also work. 20 of 23 Chili-Roasted Black Eyed Peas Southern Living Recipe: Chili-Roasted Black Eyed Peas The ideal crunchy, spicy, and salty snack to enjoy with a cold beer. Get creative and use this recipe to add texture to a salad or as a delicious soup topping. 21 of 23 Texas Caviar Southern Living Recipe: Texas Caviar Our take on this classic adds green tomatoes for a bright, citrusy bite. And the dressing couldn't be any easier, just crack open a bottle of your favorite Italian dressing. 22 of 23 Black-Eyed Pea and Grain Salad Photo: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kaye E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Black-Eyed Pea and Grain Salad Ancient grains, like the bulgar used in this salad, add a heartiness and texture to many dishes without adding weight or bulk. Dressed in a spicy vinaigrette and loaded with vegetables, this side is as delicious as it is healthy. 23 of 23 All About Field Peas Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas For tips on buying, freezing, and cooking with field peas, read our Guide to Summer-Fresh Field Peas Nothing says summer like fresh field peas from the farmer's market. Be sure to snap up these favorite recipes for Hoppin' John, Succotash, and Black-Eyed Pea Salad. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit