Fresh Cypriot Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Tuna & Homemade Croutons

30 June 2026
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Serves
4
prepTime
Prep time
20 minutes
totalTime
Total time
1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients

For the Salad

  • 800 g fresh Cypriot black-eyed peas (pods)
  • 1 small marrow zucchini (Cypriot palkapa), about 400 g
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 15 cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 2 cucumbers, diced
  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 4–5 canned tuna fillets, about 220 g
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ cup (65 ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup (65 ml) fresh lemon juice

For the Homemade Croutons

  • ½ French baguette
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp garlic, finely grated or crushed
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
Method
  1. Trim the ends of the fresh black-eyed pea pods. Remove the strings from the sides and cut the tender pods into 2–3 pieces, about 3 cm long. If any pods are mature, shell them and use only the beans. Rinse well and drain.
  2. Bring 2½ litres of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the black-eyed peas and cook over high heat for 20 minutes. If foam forms on the surface, skim it off if desired, although it will be discarded when the vegetables are drained.
  3. Meanwhile, wash the marrow zucchini (palkapa). Cut it lengthwise into quarters, then into 2–3 cm pieces. Remove the seeds if the centre is mature.
  4. Prepare the Croutons
  5. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
  6. Tear the baguette into bite-sized pieces and place them on a baking tray. Add the olive oil, garlic, salt, and fresh oregano. Toss well until all the bread pieces are evenly coated.
  7. Bake for about 12 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until golden brown and crisp. Leave to cool completely.
  8. Drain the black-eyed peas.
  9. Fill the saucepan with another 2½ litres of fresh water and bring it to a boil. Add the 1½ teaspoons of salt and the juice of one lemon. Return the black-eyed peas to the pot, add the zucchini, and cook for another 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender. Be careful not to overcook them.
  10. Drain well and allow the vegetables to cool.
  11. Transfer the black-eyed peas and zucchini to a large salad bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, tuna, 1 teaspoon salt, olive oil, and lemon juice.
  12. Toss gently until everything is well combined.
  13. Add the homemade croutons just before serving and enjoy.

 

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