Richly seasoned with onions, celery and garlic, a smoky tomato broth is the base for this hearty stew of black-eyed peas with collard greens. Make it quick and easy in your pressure cooker or Instant Pot!
With a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, there’s no need to soak the black-eyed peas beforehand. 16 minutes under pressure, and your black-eyed peas and collards stew 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 ahead of time. Plan on 2 hours cooking time.
You can speed up the whole meal by using canned beans and/or frozen chopped collard greens. Canned black-eyed peas and frozen collards–easy-peasy!
Enjoy this nourishing stew any time of the year, but be sure to ring in the New Year with black-eyed peas with collard greens!
Why eat black-eyed peas and collards on New Year’s Day?
Eating black-eyed peas with 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.
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 with 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.
Stir rice into the pot for Hoppin’ John, another Southern US original. Or simply spoon this thick stew over steamed brown rice.
This recipe for Dirty Rice with Collards and Leeks gets rave reviews on Pinterest all the time.
You might enjoy these Hoppin’ John fritters with collards for your New Year’s Day dinner.
This easy Mexican black-eyed pea salad is another winner!
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Vegetarian Black-eyed Peas with Collard Greens
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried black-eyed peas, picked over and rinsed (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 each onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 2 each celery stalks, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth or water (see note)
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes One (15-ounce) can
- 2 each bay leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or 1/2 teaspoon if you want more spicy heat
- 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)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
Instructions
- Using a stove-top pressure cooker: Heat the oil in the pot over medium flame. If using the Instant Pot, use the Sauté button. Heat the oil, then add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook the vegetables a few more minutes.
- Rinse the unsoaked black-eyed peas and add them to the pot, along with the broth or water, tomatoes, bay leaves, smoked paprika, oregano and red pepper flakes.
- 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. Place the collard ribbons on top of the beans, but don't stir them in. You want the greens to steam while the beans and broth cook.
- 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 17 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally.
- Optional but recommended: While the stew cooks, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Cook the soy "sausage", breaking it into chunks with a spoon, until the “meat” is brown on several sides. Set aside.
- When the beans are tender and cooked, remove the bay leaves, and mix in the greens. Stir in the cooked “sausage”, if using. Add the tamari and apple cider vinegar. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. The amount of salt added will depend on how salty the vegetable broth. If you used water instead, add more salt, to taste, about 3/4 teaspoon salt.
- 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 tomatoes, broth, and seasonings. Bring to a boil; reduce to a slow simmer and cover. Cook an hour or so, topping with broth or water as needed. When the beans are almost tender, remove the bay leaves, stir in the collard greens, and cook until they're tender, 10 to 15 more minutes. Stir the soy"sausage, tamari and apple cider vinegar. Season to taste with more salt and black pepper.
Notes
- If you prefer a stew that’s not as thick, stir in 1 or 2 cups more vegetable broth, until this stew is the way you like it.
- 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
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.
Vegetarian Black-eyed Peas with Collard Greens
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried black-eyed peas, picked over and rinsed (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 each onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 2 each celery stalks, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth or water (see note)
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes One (15-ounce) can
- 2 each bay leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or 1/2 teaspoon if you want more spicy heat
- 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)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
Instructions
- Using a stove-top pressure cooker: Heat the oil in the pot over medium flame. If using the Instant Pot, use the Sauté button. Heat the oil, then add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook the vegetables a few more minutes.
- Rinse the unsoaked black-eyed peas and add them to the pot, along with the broth or water, tomatoes, bay leaves, smoked paprika, oregano and red pepper flakes.
- 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. Place the collard ribbons on top of the beans, but don't stir them in. You want the greens to steam while the beans and broth cook.
- 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 17 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally.
- Optional but recommended: While the stew cooks, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Cook the soy "sausage", breaking it into chunks with a spoon, until the “meat” is brown on several sides. Set aside.
- When the beans are tender and cooked, remove the bay leaves, and mix in the greens. Stir in the cooked “sausage”, if using. Add the tamari and apple cider vinegar. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. The amount of salt added will depend on how salty the vegetable broth. If you used water instead, add more salt, to taste, about 3/4 teaspoon salt.
- 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 tomatoes, broth, and seasonings. Bring to a boil; reduce to a slow simmer and cover. Cook an hour or so, topping with broth or water as needed. When the beans are almost tender, remove the bay leaves, stir in the collard greens, and cook until they're tender, 10 to 15 more minutes. Stir the soy"sausage, tamari and apple cider vinegar. Season to taste with more salt and black pepper.
Notes
- If you prefer a stew that’s not as thick, stir in 1 or 2 cups more vegetable broth, until this stew is the way you like it.
- 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.
Site looks great, you have the right camera set up · 30 December, 2013
Thanks Denny,
The photos will be even better in 2014. Sending love for 2014! · 31 December, 2013
I will be making a very similar dish tomorrow! · 31 December, 2013
When do you add the tomatoes? · 1 January, 2019
oh my gosh Michael–thank you! You add them along with the water and spices. I fixed the recipe! Enjoy! · 1 January, 2019
Hi! You might want to add soaking time and the 2 HOUR SIMMER to the “40 minute” total time… · 2 January, 2019
Thank you for the note–I appreciate your feedback and so updated the recipe to clarify times for pressure cooking, regular stove-top cooking, and if using canned black-eyed peas. · 2 January, 2019