Dean cooks New Year Black Eyed Pea Salad and Easy Roasted Tomato-Basil Soup 

Dean Richards shares his recipe for New Year Black Eyed Pea Salad and Easy Roasted Tomato-Basil Soup.

Black Eyed Pea Salad: 

Ingredients:

For The Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 1 clove garlic peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

For The Salad:

• 2 cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes. sliced
• 1 English cucumber, cut into small pieces (approximately 1 to 1 ½ cups)
• 1 celery rib, sliced  
• 1 large red bell pepper  
• 1 cup corn (fresh, canned or thawed from frozen)
• ½ cup onion, finely diced
• ½ cup Italian Parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. Make the vinaigrette. Whisk together balsamic vinegar, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. While still whisking, slowly add the extra-virgin olive oil and continue whisking until fully incorporated and smooth. Set it aside.

2. Make the salad. Place black-eyed peas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, celery, bell pepper, corn, and red onion in a bowl.

3. Drizzle the salad with the dressing. Add the parsley. Give it a toss.

4. Taste seasonings. If you have the time, let it rest for at least four hours or preferably overnight.

5. Serve by itself, as a side dish, or with tortilla chips as a dip.

Easy Roasted Tomato-Basil Soup 

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds tomatoes any variety, cut in half
• 6 cloves garlic 
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup minced yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cups low-sodium veggie or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Spread tomatoes and garlic in 1 layer onto a large baking sheet. Drizzle with 3-4 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until tomatoes are lightly charred on the outside and tender on the inside. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. 
3. While the tomatoes are roasting, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Add the onions and cook down on medium heat until golden , about 4-5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, the roasted tomatoes and garlic, broth, and basil leaves.
4. At this point, transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 1 minutes or until the soup is creamy. This can also be done using a hand-held blender. 
5. Return the soup to pot and simmer for 5 minutes.