Slow Simmered Black Eyed Peas and Greens

Oh, January. You fill me with such conflicting emotions. It’s so cold and grey outside, so I want to eat nothing but comfort foods, yet my brain is screaming, “New year, new you!” Hahaha. I want to eat healthy, but I also want something that will make me feel warm and full. And these Slow Simmered Black Eyed Peas and Greens did both.

There’s something ultra comforting about having a pot of savory goodness simmering on the stove all afternoon. So even before I got to dive into a bowl of these peas this afternoon I was feeling extra cozy, despite the grey drizzle outside my window. These peas are an all day event, so make a big pot of them on the weekend as you take care of your chores, lounge in your PJs, or just hang out with your loved ones, and you’ll not only be making yummy food for the week, but cozy memories of “home” on cold winter days.

You can serve these beans almost like a thick soup with a piece of crusty bread for dipping, or with some cooked rice scooped into the same bowl to soak up all the delicious liquid. Or, keep it simple and just crumble some salting crackers into your bowl. This is easy food. No rules.

I used mustard green as the “greens” in this dish because that’s what was available at the store, but you could use just about any hearty green, like collard greens or kale. You *could* stir some spinach in at the end after all the simmering, but I prefere a thicker, heartier green for this recipe.

Slow Simmered Black Eyed Peas and Greens

Slow Simmered Black Eye Peas and Greens

Slow Simmered Black Eyed Peas and Greens is a great cold weather comfort food that is as healthy as it is delicious! 

• 1 lb. black eyed peas (dry) ($1.69)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.26)
• 1 onion ($0.32)
• 3 cloves garlic ($0.24)
• 1/2 bunch celery ($0.70)
• 1 tsp oregano ($0.10)
• 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika ($0.15)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
• Freshly cracked pepper ($0.05)
• 1 bay leaf ($0.15)
• 6 cups vegetable broth ($1.28)
• 12 oz. fresh greens* ($2.00)

1. The night before, place the black eyed peas in a large bowl or container and fill with cool water (there should be at least three times as much water as peas). Allow the peas to soak overnight in the refrigerator.

2. When you’re ready to begin cooking, add the olive oil to a large pot. Dice the onion and mince, mince the garlic, and slice the celery. Add the onion, garlic, and celery to the pot and sauté over medium heat until the onions are transparent. 

3. Drain the soaked peas in a colander and rinse them with cool water. Add the rinsed peas to the pot with the vegetables. Also add the oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, some freshly cracked pepper (about 20 cranks of a pepper mill), bay leaf, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine.

4. Add a lid to the pot, turn the heat up to high, and bring the pot to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low, and allow it to simmer for 1 hour.

5. After one hour of simmering, the black eyed peas should be tender. Add the greens to the pot and stir them in until wilted. Smash some of the peas against the side of the pot as you stir to help thicken the liquid. 

6. Turn the heat up to medium to bring the pot back up to a simmer, and allow the peas and greens to simmer for 30 minutes more, without a lid. After simmering for 30 minutes, the greens should be tender and the peas should have broken down further and thickened the liquid even more. Taste the peas and add salt to your liking (I added about 3/4 tsp, but the amount needed will depend on the salt content of your vegetable broth). Serve with crusty bread or over rice.

*I used bagged pre-chopped mustard greens, but you can use other hearty greens like collard greens or kale. If using greens in a bunch, remove the stems and chop the leaves into 1 to 2-inch pieces.

Step by Step Photos

Begin the night before by placing 1 lb. black eyed peas (dry, uncooked) in a large bowl or container and filling it with cool water. You’ll want at least three times as much water as peas because they’ll soak up quite a bit! Soak the peas in the refrigerator overnight. This photo is after they had soaked overnight.

The next day when you’re ready to start cooking, dice an onion, mince about 3 cloves of garlic, and slice half a bunch of celery. Add them to a large pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent. 

Drain and rinse the soaked peas in a colander, then add them to the pot. Also add 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp cayenne, some freshly cracked pepper (about 20 cranks of a pepper mill), and one bay leaf.

Finally, add 6 cups of vegetable broth and stir everything to combine. 

Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to high, and let it come to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer on low for one hour. After one hour it will look a little something like the photo above and the peas should be tender.

Now it’s time to add the greens! I used these bagged, pre-chopped mustard greens because they’re super easy and still very inexpensive. I ended up using about 3/4 of this bag, but you could totally use the whole thing if you prefer. This part is very flexible. You could also use collard greens or kale if you prefer.

Stir the greens into the peas until they are wilted. As you stir, smash some of the peas against the side of the pot to help thicken the liquid. Then, turn the heat under the pot up to medium and let it come back up to a simmer. 

Let the peas and greens simmer, without a lid, for 3o more minutes. This helps break down the peas more and thicken the liquid, and tenderizes the greens. If you’re using an even heartier green, you may want to simmer even just a bit longer to get the greens to the texture you like. And then the pot is thick and glorious like this. Give it a taste and add salt as needed, which will help make the flavors pop. I added about 3/4 tsp, but it will depend on the salt content of the broth you used.

Serve your cozy Slow Simmered Black Eyed Peas and Greens with some crusty bread, or ladled over rice. :) 

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