Black-eyed Peas and Collards {Instant Pot pressure cooker option}

Richly seasoned with onions, celery and garlic, a flavorful tomato broth is the base for this thick stew of black-eyed peas and collards. Enjoy this dish any time of the year, but for health, wealth and luck, be sure to ring in the New Year with black-eyed peas and collards! 

With a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, you don’t have to soak the black-eyed peas beforehand. 16 minutes under pressure, and your black-eyed peas and collards can be done and ready in 40 minutes.

If you don’t have a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, it’s best to soak the black-eyed peas. Plan on 2 hours cooking time.

You can speed up the whole meal by using canned beans. One New Year’s Eve I shopped so late there were no fresh collards to be found. Lucky for my money the frozen section bore chopped collard greens. Canned black-eyed peas and frozen collards–easy-peasy!

Eating black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year’s Day is a Southern tradition dating back to the Civil War.

The idea is that black-eyed peas symbolize good luck and fortune, and collard greens represent money and wealth. I wouldn’t call it superstition, but just to be safe, I always make black-eyed peas and collards on New Year’s Day.

Tradition calls for some sort of pork, like bacon or ham, to symbolize a healthy new year. But this is a vegetarian blog, so … for a meatless stew, skip the pork, create the intention for a vibrant fit healthy body and add sautéed chunks of pretend pork, sausage flavor!

What if you don’t have collard greens?

You can substitute another leafy green vegetable, like kale or chard. Like for the collards, strip the leaves from the stems and chop the leaves into ribbons or small squares. The kale will take a bit longer simmer to be tender, and the chard, less time. If using chard, chop the stems and add them to the sauté with the onions and celery.

What to serve with black-eyed peas and collards:

Hot cornbread or cheesy buttermilk cornbread muffins are a wonderful complement to flavorful beans and greens.  When you stir rice into the pot you have Hoppin’ John, another Southern US original. Or simply spoon this thick stew over steamed brown rice.

You might enjoy these Hoppin’ John fritters with collards for your New Year’s Day dinner. Or this easy Mexican black-eyed pea salad.

Thanks for being here. To get my latest recipe posts and newsletters, subscribe here. (I hate Spam too and will never share your email with anyone.)

• Follow me on Instagram! It’s my favorite!
• Peruse my Pinterest boards for more vegetarian recipe ideas.
• Find daily vegetarian and healthy living ideas on my Facebook page.

This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase products via my links, it doesn’t cost you anything and I earn a tiny commission, which helps me continue to provide free content here on Letty’s Kitchen. Thank you!!

PS If you make this recipe and love it, please consider leaving a blog post comment. Your comments help other readers learn more about the recipe. If you’d also give the recipe a ✮✮✮✮✮ rating, I’d be delighted!

Print Recipe

3.78 from 9 votes

Black-eyed Peas and Collard Greens

Richly seasoned with onions, celery and garlic, a flavorful tomato broth is the base for this thick stew of black-eyed peas and collards. If you wish, sauté a soy "sausage" on the side and add it to the mix when you add the vinegar. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Vegan

Keyword: black-eyed peas, collard greens

Servings: 8 servings.

Author: Letty | @lettyskitchen

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried black-eyed peas (see notes)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups onion , chopped (1 onion)
• 2 each celery stalks , chopped
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• 3 cups vegetable broth or water
• 15 ounces diced tomatoes one (15-ounce) can, or diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 2 each bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 8 ounces imitation sausage e.g. Gimme Lean, optional
• 1 bunch fresh collard greens, stems removed and discarded (about 12 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

• Using a pressure cooker: Heat the oil in the pot over medium flame. With the Instant Pot, use the Sauté button. Add the onion and celery; cook and stir until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook the vegetables a few more minutes.
• Rinse the black-eyed peas and add them to the pot, along with the water, tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano and red pepper flakes. The liquid should just cover the beans. 
• Using a pressure cooker: Cook 16 minutes under pressure, remove from heat and allow pressure to release naturally. Using an Instant Pot, turn the top dial to Seal and set the timer for 16 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally.
• For regular stove-top cooking: Rinse the beans and put them in a bowl, covering them amply with cold water. Let soak at least 6 hours or ideally, overnight. Follow directions for sautéeing the onions and celery and garlic, then add the broth and seasoning. Bring to a boil; reduce to a slow simmer and cover. Cook two hours or so, topping with water as needed, until the beans are tender to a bite. Continue with the directions for the collard greens and final flavor add-ins.
• If adding fake soysage, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Cook the "sausage", breaking it into chunks with a spoon, until the “meat” is brown on several sides. Set aside.
• Stack the collard leaves one on top of the other and roll into a tube shape. Slice ¼-inch thick into ribbons. Or simply chop into one-inch square pieces. 
• Add the collard ribbons to the pot. Simmer until the greens are tender, about 10 minutes. With the Instant Pot, use the Sauté button.
• Add the reserved cooked “sausage”, if using. Stir in the apple cider vinegar and season to taste with more salt and pepper. (Amount of salt added wil depend on how salty the vegetable broth. If you use water instead, add about 3/4 teaspoon salt, to taste.)

Notes

• If you wish, substitute 2 (15-ounce) cans of black-eyed peas for the dried peas. Using canned peas, begin by sautéing the onions, celery and garlic, then add the drained and rinsed beans along with the tomatoes and broth. Let simmer about 10 minutes, then add the collard ribbons and cook another 10 minutes, until the greens are tender.
• *** Estimated Cook time is for pressure cooking. Without a pressure cooker--add 6 hours soaking time and 2 hours cook time if cooking dried black-eyed peas and collards regular stove-top method.
•  

Nutrition

Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 732mg | Potassium: 682mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1480IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 4mg

Did you make this recipe?Mention @lettyskitchen or tag #lettyskitchen

Nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. The numbers will vary based on the quantity consumed, brands used and any substitutions. The numbers do not include the imitation sausage.