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Bowl of smoky black-eyed pea stew with collards and a wedge of cornbread on a wooden table

Smoky Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Chipotle and Collards

A one-pot vegan stew of dried black-eyed peas, collards and fire-roasted tomatoes, flavored with smoked paprika and chipotle. It needs no soaking and keeps well all week.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 129
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion large (about 250 g); diced
  • 2 celery stalks (about 100 g); diced
  • 2 carrots medium (about 150 g); peeled and diced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo minced
  • 1 tsp adobo sauce from the can
  • 450 g dried black-eyed peas / 1 lb (about 2 1/3 cups); rinsed and picked over, no soaking
  • 1.2 l low-sodium vegetable broth / 5 cups
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (400 g / 14.5 oz); with juices
  • 1 bunch collard greens (about 250 g); stems removed, leaves chopped
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Method
 

  1. Heat the olive oil in a 26 cm / 10-inch Dutch oven (5.5-quart / 5.2 L) over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and black pepper, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent.
  2. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika, cumin, minced chipotle and adobo sauce. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the paste darkens to brick red and the pot smells smoky.
  3. Add the rinsed black-eyed peas, vegetable broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat so only a few bubbles break the surface. Partially cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.
  4. Stir in the fire-roasted tomatoes and their juices. They go in now instead of at the start because acid keeps the pea skins firm. Simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes more.
  5. Add the collards in handfuls, stirring as they wilt. Simmer for 10 minutes until the collards are tender and the peas are creamy in the center.
  6. Fish out the bay leaves. Stir in the cider vinegar and 1 tsp kosher salt, then mash a ladleful of peas against the side of the pot to thicken the broth. Taste, add more salt if needed, and serve hot.

Notes

  • Rinse the dried peas and discard any shriveled ones or small stones.
  • Hold the tomatoes until the peas have simmered 30 minutes, then add them.
  • Start with 1 chipotle for medium heat, or use half for a milder pot.
  • Stir in the vinegar and salt at the end, then taste before adding more.
  • Keep the simmer low so the peas stay whole and creamy in the center.