Saladu Nebbe, Senegalese Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Saladu nebbe is the black-eyed pea salad sold from Senegalese street stalls and made at home, nebbe being the Wolof word for the bean. It is a plain, bright mix of beans, raw vegetables, chile, and lime, closer to a bean-forward chopped salad than anything dressed. The lime does double duty, taming the onion and seasoning the beans so no salt is needed, and a little scotch bonnet supplies the heat and fruit that define it. Let it sit before serving, since black-eyed peas taste flat straight from the pot and need a few minutes to take on the dressing.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Black-eyed peas, cooked and cooled
- 2 Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1/2 Red onions, finely diced
- 1 Bell pepper, green, finely diced
- 1/2 Habanero, seeded and minced
- 3 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 Lime, juiced
Method
- Put the diced onion in a large bowl with the lime juice and let it macerate for 5 minutes. The lime takes the harsh bite out of the raw onion and seasons the whole salad, doing the job salt usually would in a bean salad.
- Add the cooled black-eyed peas, tomato, green pepper, minced habanero, and parsley, and fold everything together. Use cooled beans, not warm, so they hold their shape and do not go mealy in the dressing.
- Let the salad rest for 10 minutes so the beans absorb the lime and chile. Resting is where a bland bean salad becomes a seasoned one, since the peas need time to drink up the acid.
- Grind over black pepper and toss again. The scotch bonnet, here a half habanero, gives the fruity heat that marks a Senegalese nebbe. Serve at room temperature as a salad or a light lunch.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 160 calories, 9 g protein, 8 g fiber, 20 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
