This comforting Vegan Black-Eyed Pea Stew is packed with black-eyed peas, tender kale, onion, bell pepper, celery, herbs, and warming spices simmered in a flavorful vegan no-beef broth. It's wholesome, hearty, and perfect for cozy nights in or New Year's Day good luck traditions. Serve with crusty bread or homemade vegan cornbread for a satisfying vegan meal that's both nourishing and delicious.

Overhead view of vegan Black-eyed Pea Stew on beige napkin.

Stew is one of the easiest dishes to make, and it's always so satisfying. This Vegan Black-Eyed Pea Stew is perfect for cold fall and winter days. It's hearty and flavorful and sure to warm you up from the inside out. You may find yourself making this vegan black-eyed pea soup plus this Vegan Skillet Cornbread or Vegan Irish Soda Bread all winter long!

Inspiration

I am so excited to share this vegan black-eyed pea soup recipe with you! This recipe is inspired by the Southern Style Black-Eyed Peas recipe from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.

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Inspiration
What Do Black-eyed Peas Taste Like?
Why You Are Going to Love This Recipe
What Are Black-Eyed Peas?
Ingredients
Substitutions
Variations
How to Cook Black-eyed Peas
How to Make this Vegan Black Eyed Pea Stew with Kale
Expert Tips
How To Serve
Storage
More Vegan Soups and Stews Recipes
Recipe
Comments

Black-eyed peas are popular around the New Year because they're considered to be a lucky food. Be sure to check out this Tepary Bean Salad for a delicious bean salad with black-eyed peas. It's perfect for game day or feeding a crowd.

This Vegan Black-eyed Pea Stew is the perfect way to celebrate the new year - it's hearty, healthy, and delicious! Plus, it's easy to make - you need a few simple ingredients. Give this recipe a try on a cold night!

It's so good with this vegan Irish Soda Bread or Vegan Southwest Skillet Cornbread! These breads are both quick breads and come together in a flash.

For more heartwarming and filling meals, try this Vegan Pumpkin Chili, Vegan Butternut Squash Chili, Vegan Sweet Potato and Bean Stew, or Pumpkin Veggie Stew. If you're in the mood for a comforting and creamy soup to warm you from the inside out, try this Vegan Gnocchi Soup.

What Do Black-eyed Peas Taste Like?

Black-eyed peas are dense with an earthy flavor. The longer they get cooked, the more creamy the consistency gets. I like them with just a bit of a bite. The key is to cook them with salt to bring out the flavor, along with dried Chile de árbol.

Why You Are Going to Love This Recipe

One word: flavor. This soup has a lot of flavor! But what is the secret, you may ask?The secret is the Chile de árbol. It's my secret ingredient and will likely have you asking for another bowl. It's that good!

Every time I serve this soup, my husband keeps saying, "This is awesome….This is everything I want in a soup….This is delicious", over and over. I am not kidding, even with the leftovers.

This is one of my favorite soup recipes, along with this Vegan Sweet Potato and Bean Stew - I can't wait for you to try it! This recipe serves four. If you want leftovers or are serving a crowd, double or triple the recipe.

What Are Black-Eyed Peas?

Black-eyed peas are legumes originating from Africa and are grown throughout the world. Soul food and Southern food typically feature black-eyed peas. As the name hints, black-eyed peas are cream in color and have a black spot resembling an eye.

Many consider it good luck to consume black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, particularly in the South. As the black-eyed peas cook, they swell, symbolizing prosperity.

Ingredients

Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this vegan black-eyed pea stew:

Black-eyed peas - You will need to cook dry beans first or use canned beans which are already cooked. I can easily find dry or canned black-eyed peas at the grocery store or online. I'd rather cook them myself, but for convenience it's handy to have canned black-eyed peas such as these organic ones.
Vegan broth - I used a "no beef base," which is terrific in this recipe (mix with hot water first), or you can use a vegetable broth, homemade or purchased. I like to get the vegetable base in this variety pack. Or use your favorite broth!
Coconut oil - I used virgin coconut oil, my favorite oil for this soup. The soup doesn't taste like coconut.
Sea salt - adjust to your taste!
Poultry seasoning - a savory mixture of sage, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary. Some versions add nutmeg and pepper. I like this one.
Dried Chile de árbol, a red pepper, or bird's beak chile for spice and extra flavor. I like these ones. I add these dried peppers to beans while they're cooking and while this soup is cooking. You can find these at your local Latin market or find them online.
Kale - fresh, chopped kale to stir in near the end before serving, optional.
Bay leaf - I used several dried bay leaves for additional flavor.

A complete ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Substitutions

Kale - stir in collard greens, turnip greens, or spinach for a few minutes before planning to serve the soup.
Coconut oil - Try olive oil, avocado oil, olive oil, or grapeseed oil.
Allspice - try ras el hanout for a spicy kick. This Moroccan spice mix works well in this recipe! Or use freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper or Cajun seasoning.
Black-eyed peas - try purple hull peas, cannellini beans, black beans, or lima beans!
Dried Chile de árbol - try canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.

Variations

Less spicy - To make this vegan black-eyed pea stew less spicy with less of a flavor punch, you can omit the freshly ground allspice powder and skip the Arbol chiles completely. Or you can seed the Arbol chiles before you add them to the beans or the stew.
Oil-free - Omit the oil and use a bit of water or vegetable broth as needed when cooking the onion to prevent it from sticking to the pot. I recommend adding a bit of salt to draw out water from the onion as it's cooking.
Garnish - I garnished the stew with homegrown kohlrabi sprouts which are optional. I usually don't garnish this stew with anything, however.
Add cooked vegan sage sausage - crumble or slice it. Saute it in the oil until it starts to brown before adding the vegetables.
Smoky flavor - add smoked paprika or a couple drops of liquid smoke.

How to Cook Black-eyed Peas

Here's how to cook dry black-eyed peas at home:

Soak one pound of black-eyed peas in water overnight on the counter in the same pot you'll be cooking them in. If it's warm, refrigerate them overnight.
Before cooking, drain the beans in a colander and rinse them with fresh water.
Place the beans in the stock pot and cover them with two inches of water.
Bring to a boil on medium-high heat and reduce heat to low or low-medium. Add one tablespoon of kosher salt and three Arbol chiles (optional). Occasionally stir to make sure they're not sticking to the bottom, and cook for 45 minutes at a simmer, not a constant rolling boil.
Taste the beans for tenderness. Drain the beans, rinse with fresh, cool water, and reserve the chiles to add to the soup later after they've been chopped.
To cool the beans quickly, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Let cool, and refrigerate half for making the soup again in a couple of days or for other uses. Otherwise, freeze the beans in a single layer in a freezer-safe ziplock bag.

Side angle of vegan black-eyed pea stew in bowl with spoon.

How to Make this Vegan Black Eyed Pea Stew with Kale

It's easy to make this black-eyed pea soup, even if it is your first time.

Step 1: Heat a large pot on medium heat for 3 minutes. Add coconut oil; when it is shimmering, add the vegetables.
Step 2: Add the onion, green bell pepper, celery, garlic, and salt. Cook for five minutes or so, occasionally stirring, until you see the onion starting to turn light golden. If the pot's bottom is getting brown, add a tablespoon of water and stir to deglaze it.
Step 3: Add the bay leaves, poultry seasoning, and allspice, stirring for a minute or two.
Step 4: Pour in the veg broth, cooked black-eyed peas and Arbol chiles - you can toss them in whole or chop them first. I usually throw them in whole.
Step 5: Cook the stew for 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 6: A few minutes before serving, remove the whole Arbol chiles (if not chopped already), let them cool briefly, and chop them. Put them back into the soup for extra flavor.
Step 7: Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. Stir in the chopped kale for a few minutes until it starts to soften before serving the soup.

Expert Tips

If you're using canned beans, you can stir the three whole Arbol chiles into the soup when you add the veg broth. When the soup is done cooking, remove the chiles, chop them, and stir them back into the soup. Or, chop the chiles first.
Cook dried black-eyed peas if you have the time versus opening a can or jar. The difference in taste is worth it! I like to keep canned beans as a backup but cooked-at-home beans rule for taste and texture. They're so good I can eat them right out of the stockpot. To save time, make them ahead of time and freeze them in a single layer in a freezer-safe ziploc bag.

Top view of bowl of vegan black-eyed pea stew with spoon in bowl.

How To Serve

I love to serve this vegan black-eyed pea soup as a main dish with vegan skillet cornbread, or a crusty loaf of sourdough and plant-based butter. Sometimes I'll serve a salad or roasted brussels sprouts or other vegetables first.

However, if you have my Vegan Lentil Loaf as the main course, maybe you'd like it as a first course.

Storage

Let the soup cool on the counter first.
Refrigerate the bean stew within two hours of cooking in covered airtight containers for up to 3 to 4 days.
Freeze it in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags for up to 4 to 6 months.
Cooked bean stew thawed in the fridge can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator before cooking; bean stew thawed in the microwave or cold water should be eaten immediately.
When reheating, be sure to add enough water if the soup is too thick.

More Vegan Soups and Stews Recipes

If you try this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Comments

5 from 151 votes (139 ratings without comment)