Black Eyed Pea Collard Rolls are hearty, healthy, tangy and plant-based! Bring on the BBQ, y’all! vegan + gluten free
I was craving BBQ. Walking the streets of Fredericksburg, Texas over the holidays put me just about over the top due to the wafting aroma of that sweet and smoky food. So I waited until I got home from holiday travels to whip up some BBQ I could sink my teeth into. Besides, this recipe needed a photography update, so the timing couldn’t have been better.
I love BBQ. I was raised on it.
BBQ is king in Texas and is on every corner. But my pulled pork days are a thing of the past. Do I miss it? Yes and no.
My past food history is chocked full of family BBQs. But I’ve learned new ways to enjoy it; vegetarian-style, that is. So it’s an easy choice when I go back to Texas and head to the nearest BBQ joint with family. The limited veggie choices always win me over, so I go with a baked potato, slaw and corn on the cob.
That’s not to say that I don’t take that tangy BBQ sauce and pour it on my baked potato!
There’s always some cornbread too.
Black eyed peas offer a mouthwatering opportunity to enjoy BBQ. Pair that tangy sauce with black eyed peas and collard greens? Why, you’ve got a recipe worthy of being called Southern! Don’t want to get all fussy with rolling? Try my Black Eyed Peas with Smoky Collards and Cheesy Grits (vegan or vegetarian).
The BBQ sauce in this recipe is my Smoky Bourbon BBQ Sauce recipe, but in a pinch, grab your favorite prepared sauce. Just be sure to check the ingredients. The sauce is quite tangy and the spiciness can be toned up or down. I like mine toned WAY up!
If you’re new to collards or haven’t tried them in a while, I hope you’ll give them a go. They’re in season almost year-round but I find them tastiest after a bit of frost in the fall and winter.
Collards are a sturdy green like kale and chard. They’re a powerhouse of nutrition and are quite easy to work with. With a bit of seasoning and cook time, their bitterness is toned down. They’re a delicious addition to your table. For more about collard’s super hero power, check out World’s Healthiest Foods.
And even though this is plant-based, if you love traditional BBQ, you won’t be disappointed. These little tender rolls pair well with Texas Potato Salad, or baked potato, and Broccoli Slaw or cabbage slaw.
More Black Eyed Pea Recipes to Love:
- Black Eyed Pea Sweet Potato Cornbread Pot Pie
- Slow Cooked Black Eyed Peas
- Citrusy Roasted Beet Goat Cheese Salad (with Black Eyed Peas) – from Foolproof Living
- Harissa Stewed Black-Eyed Peas with Okra and Collard Greens
- Black Eyed Peas with Smoky Collards and Cheesy Grits
BBQ Black Eyed Pea Collard Rolls
Ingredients
For the Rolls:
- 2 Bunches of Collards enough for 9 Whole Large Leaves, and 3 C Chopped Collards (about 1.2lbs / 616g total)
- 1 tsp Coconut Oil
- 1 1/2 C (430g) Slow Cooked Black Eyed Peas drained*
- 2 C (150g) Crimini Mushrooms, stemmed and chopped in small dice
- 3 dashes of Tabasco, or to taste
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/8 tsp Pepper
For the BBQ Sauce:
- 1 Recipe of: Smoky Bourbon Homemade BBQ Sauce
Instructions
For the Filling:
- Fill a large stockpot 2/3 full of water and bring to a boil. Rinse the collards well and chop off the stem at the base of all the collards. Choose the most intact 9 leaves available for the rolls, set aside. Chop enough of the remaining collards for 3 C packed to be used in the filling. Rinse these in a colander with plenty of water as collards tend to be a bit dirty. Set aside. Place the 9 whole collard leaves in the boiling water and boil for about 6 minutes. If you have a few whole leaves left, you can boil those too, using them to line the casserole dish. Carefully drain the whole leaves in a colander and rinse with cold water. Place a few kitchen towels or paper towels on the counter. Place each leaf, flat, on the towel. Be careful here as the leaves are tender and tear easily.
- In a large sauté pan, melt down 1 Tbs of coconut oil. Cook the mushrooms on medium heat until softened and fragrant, stirring only occassionally for about 5 minutes, then add the chopped collards. Cook until just wilted. Turn the heat down to low and add the black eyed peas to the pan and stir to combine ingredients. Add 1/4 C (86g) of the BBQ sauce to the collard mixture. Now is a good time to adjust seasoning to taste. Include Tabasco and salt and pepper.
To Assemble the Rolls:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Use pan spray (coconut oil) to coat the bottom and sides of a medium casserole dish. Line the casserole with any extra leaves. Take one collard leaf and place it flat on your work surface. Test the collard to see if the stem will easily bend, as if you're rolling up the collard. If not, gently slice the stem out of slice it so it's thinner. Take about 4 1/2 Tbs of the collard/mushroom/pea mixture and place it towards the base of the collard leaf. Very carefully, begin to roll up the collard leaf, folding the sides over the mixture while continuing to roll (think burrito). If the collard tears a bit, just keep folding and rolling. It will come together. Place the roll into the prepared casserole dish.
- Repeat this process until all of the leaves and filling is used up. Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes, or until the inside of each roll is heated throughly (use a fork to heat-test a roll). If they bake too long, the leaves will begin to lose their vibrant green color.
- Meanwhile, warm the remaining BBQ sauce in a pan on low for 5 minutes. Drizzle 1/2 of the remaining sauce on rolls and use the final 1/2 for anyone who wants extra!
Notes
Nutrition is provided as an estimate and courtesy. If this information is important to you, please verify it independently.
Holy smoke, these look good. Okay to use your own black eyed peas in this recipe?
Hey Clara! I’m not sure I understand your question. The black eyed peas I have linked are already seasoned and have peppers and onions in them. So if you cook your own recipe, season them how you like them and add a some onion and bell pepper. I hope this helps and you enjoy these saucy rolls!
I made these tonight for dinner and they are delicious. Even my meat-eater fiance ate two. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Another one to add to my list.
Hi Tracy! Thank you for your note and hooray for your meat-eater fiance for giving this a try! Yay YOU!
Hi Traci. I’m wondering if I could make the filling and store it in the fridge and then each day microwave to create 1-2 rolls to eat? I’m just cooking for me so I wouldn’t eat a whole casserole dish in one meal. Or if I follow the directions will it reheat in the microwave that way?
Hi Shana! The filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. It can also be frozen. For reheating, I would recommend heating (reheating) in the oven or toaster oven. I’ve not microwaved this recipe, so it’s hard to say how doing so would affect the collards (color, texture, taste). You could give it a try and see what you think! Please share your results with us. :D
These rolls looks so delicious !
These have me drooling like a fool! I love BBQ and black eyed peas and collard greens and pretty much everything about this recipe, lol!
I always wanted to visit Fredericksburg when we lived in College Station but we never got around to it. Seems like such a romantic place. Hopefully one day!
Thanks so much for sharing this, Traci. Growing up in Greece and living in London, I’ve never had collard greens (and glancing at your smoky bourbon bbq sauce, I probably never had a proper bbq sauce either) but I so very much want to- I mean, look at these colours and this filling. Any idea where I can find them or what to substitute them with?
Hello Amaryllis from London! Thank you for your note. I hope you can find them… try asking your produce department or a farmer at a farmers market. I’ve not tried it, but if you can find Rainbow or Swiss Chard, that could be a good substitute. Only, I wouldn’t blanch the chard as long. It’s a bit more tender than collards. So perhaps try blanching chard for 30 seconds, then pat dry and use in the recipe. I hope this helps and you finally try some good vegetarian BBQ! ;)