Cook in a slow cooker or on stove top, Slow Cooked Vegetarian Black-Eyed Peas are not just for new years. Black-eyed peas make a healthy stand alone meal or can become a part of other delicious recipes! This recipe is vegan and easily gluten free.
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Not Just for New Years
Ma used to make black-eyed peas in the slow cooker and had a hand in my love of these little peas. Back in the day, we always had some sort of ham or kielbasa with black-eyed peas and we only had them, it seems, on New Years Day (Ma?).
It’s a tradition in the South to eat black-eyed peas on New Years Day for good luck! I eat them pretty regularly now meatless, minus the kielbasa… or ham.
About Black-Eyed Peas
Black-eyed peas, aka cowpeas, are little power houses of nutrition and not just for new year’s good luck! These legumes are available year round, are filling and make a hearty meal. Black-eyed peas are packed with fiber, protein, magnesium, folate and are low in calories. Best of all, black eyed peas are pretty inexpensive especially when bought in bulk.
Black-eyed peas don’t need to be soaked, but they can be. Cooking time is only decreased slightly if the peas soaked first.
Ingredients for Slow Cooked Black-Eyed Peas
Look for black-eyed peas in the bulk bins for best price. Here’s what you’ll need for the recipe:
- Dried Black-Eyed Peas
- Onion – red or yellow
- Green and Red Bell Pepper
- Fresh Garlic
- Tabasco
- Liquid Smoke
- Yellow Mustard
- Bay Leaf
- Veggie Broth
Liquid Smoke offers a subtle yet effective stand in for any smoky flavor meat could offer.
RELATED: Love black eyed peas? Try my one pot Black Eyed Pea Sweet Potato Cornbread Pot Pie recipe!
How to Make Slow Cook Black-Eyed Peas
This vegan black-eyed peas recipe has all the flavor of traditionally cooked peas without meat. Here’s how to make em’:
- First, start with dry black-eyed peas. There’s no need to soak, but if you do, the cook time is reduced only slightly.
- Second, after sorting and rinsing, put the peas straight into the pot with the bell peppers, garlic, onion, liquid smoke, mustard, bay leaf and broth/water. This is the same for both crock pot and stove top.
- Last, cook the (unsoaked) peas in the crock pot on high for about 4 -5 hours or low for about 6-7 hours OR on the stove top for about 50 minutes.
Age of beans, variations in slow cooker temperature, and soaked or unsoaked peas will effect how long the beans need to cook before they’re done. Use the cook times as a guide. The peas are ready when they’re tender yet not mushy.
A Few Recipe Notes
- Crock Pot or Stove Top? I’ve included how to make these peas in the crock pot and on the stove top, soaked or unsoaked.
- Turn up the heat by adding more Tabasco or minced jalapeños.
- Find liquid smoke at your grocery where BBQ and other hot sauces are sold and look for the simplest ingredient list with words you can pronounce. Look for gluten free if needed.
- For even more veggie action, go for adding ribboned kale, chard or collard greens. Add the greens to the black-eyed peas in the crock pot about 20 minutes before you’re ready to eat, stove top about 10 minutes.
- For a soup/stew, transfer about 2-3 cups of the peas and cooking liquid to a blender and puree the mixture. Add it back into the soup pot.
- Serve with your favorite cornbread recipe or try my Gluten Free Cornbread.
- Age of black-eyed peas, soaking or not soaking the peas and variations in slow cooker temperature will effect how long the beans need to cook before they’re done. Taste the peas as they near the suggested cook times in the recipe. The peas are ready when they’re tender yet not mushy.
More Ways to Love Vegetarian Black-Eyed Peas
Not only is this slow cooker black-eyed peas recipe easy, but the peas are versatile too. Use the peas in other recipes, like:
- Cajun Stewed Black Eyed Peas and Greens
- BBQ Black Eyed Pea Collard Rolls
- Black Eyed Peas with Smoky Collards and Cheesy Grits
- Harissa Stewed Black-Eyed Peas with Okra and Collard Greens
the recipe
Slow Cooked Vegetarian Black-Eyed Peas
Ingredients
- 1 ½ C (270g) Dry Black Eyed Peas
- 2 Cloves of Garlic minced
- 1 C (140g) Purple/Red Onion medium dice, about one small onion
- ½ C (70g) Red Bell Pepper small dice, about 1/2 a medium bell
- ½ C (70g) Green Bell Pepper small dice, about 1/2 a medium bell
- 2 tsp Tabasco
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Liquid Smoke gluten free if needed
- 1 tsp Yellow Mustard
- 1 Bayleaf
- 5 C (1.1kg) Vegetable Broth 4 C (880g) if using soaked peas (a combination of 1/2 broth and 1/2 water can be used)
- ¼ C (6g) Chopped Parsley for Garnish
Instructions
- Decide on cooking method (crock pot or stove top) and if you'll soak the peas or not. Soaking isn't necessary, but If soaking, soak overnight in enough water to cover the peas by about four inches (1.5cm). Rinse and drain the peas before cooking. Soaking reduces the cook time only slightly.
- To Cook the PeasMeasure, rinse and sort through the peas making sure they are free of stones and dirt. Choose method A or B to cook the peas. A. For the Crock Pot: Add the black eyed peas, garlic, onion, bell pepper, Tabasco, salt, liquid smoke, mustard, bayleaf and veggie broth (5 cups of broth/water if using unsoaked peas, 4 cups if using soaked peas) to the slow cooker. Give the ingredients a stir, place the lid on the slow cooker. Unsoaked Peas: Cook on high for about 4 -5 hours or low for about 6-7 hours. Soaked Peas: Cook on high for about 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 hours or low for about 5 1/2 - 6 1/2 hours.B. For the Stove Top: In a medium saucepot or Dutch oven, add the black eyed peas, garlic, onion, bell pepper, Tabasco, salt, liquid smoke, mustard, bayleaf and veggie broth (5 cups of broth/water if using unsoaked peas, 4 cups if using soaked peas) . Bring to a boil, turn down to low or to a low simmer and cook for 45 minutes to one hour, uncovered. If the peas start drying out add more broth/water as needed. Soaked peas take just a little bit less time than unsoaked peas to cook.
- Age of beans and variations in slow cooker temperature will effect how long the beans need to cook before they're done. Start checking the peas before indicated cooking times are complete. Taste the beans for texture. The beans are ready when they're tender, still have a tooth yet are not mushy. Taste for salt adjustment.
- Serve the peas with or without their broth, garnish with parsley. Peas can also be served as a soup. Simply puree about 2-3 cups in a blender and return the puree' to soup pot with the remaining whole peas. Stir and ladle into soup bowls.
- Store in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to two weeks.
Notes
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
This recipe was updated with new photos, more tips and a stove top cook method December 2019!
Our whole family loved this recipe! We used green & yellow bell peppers bc that’s what we had on hand, and I forgot the bay leaf – still delicious without it. We literally raced each other to eat the leftovers for lunch! I won. :)
HI Heather! Hooray for a WIN-WIN tonight! Thank you for sending a smile. I loved reading your note!
I love these! I’m putting them into the crockpot in the morning so I can make your fabulous Collard Greens recipe for dinner, the second time around. I’ll include the grits if I have the energy tonight 😊
So happy to hear Claire! Thank you for your note, rating and giving the recipe a go!
These are delicious! And so easy! I’m about to make them for the second time, with some cornbread. Thank you for the recipe :)
Hi Eliza! Thank YOU for coming back and leaving a note! SO happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe… and with cornbread, even better!
The picture of your bowl of black eye peas is the best I have ever seen. Therefore I will put my ham hock in the freezer and I will make your vegetarian version.
Hi Joanne! Thank you for your kind words. I hope you enjoy the recipe, meat free!
I do not own a slow cooker and wondered how to adjust to a stove top.
Hi Ann… give this a try: Soak the peas overnight. Drain and rinse. Set aside. In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat a few teaspoons of oil to shimmering. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook until softened – about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, stir one minute. Pour in the veggie broth, then all the remaining ingredients (except parsley). Add the, dried (and soaked) black-eyed peas. Stir. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a low simmer. Place a lid on the pot and cook for about 40-50 minutes or until the peas are tender, but not mushy. Check the peas periodically and add more broth or water if the liquid starts getting low. I hope this helps, Ann!
Do you not serve them with the liquid? In the photo it doesn’t look like they have any.
Hi Delyssa! Serve with or without liquid. If using the peas in another recipe like stuffed collard rolls, I drain the liquid. If sharing as a main with tofu or vegetarian sausage, I keep the liquid. I hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe!
Hi Ammon! You can sub chicken stock using a 1:1 ratio.
Hi there…. If you were to soak the peas first (for nutrition reasons) do you know how one might adjust the liquid amount and the cook time to accommodate?
Hi Kristin! I’m not sure about the difference here. I know that when fast cooking beans, theres little difference between cook time and added liquid when leaving the beans soaked or unsoaked. I’m sorry I can’t be more help here.
How do you double this recipe? Thanks.
Hi Lisa! Multiply each ingredient amount by two and you’ll double the recipe!
Hello Traci,
Just a quick question how many servings do you get from this? Looks awesome looking forward to making it this week to add to my budha bowls.
Hi Elaine! Thank you for your note. You should get about 4 1/2, 1/2 C servings. They freeze beautifully too! I hope this helps.
In your recipe,
That one tsp. Mustard, is that dry mustard?
Hi Dave! It’s just yellow mustard, like the kind you’d spread on a sandwich. I hope this helps. :D
I am going to try this tomorrow, as I am new to your website. This is exciting. I have been Vegan for 1 year now and love finding new sources of food that my husband (meat eater) will try.
Hi Meg! I know it can be a challenge when you and your husband eat differently. Rob still eats meat occasionally, but is eating less and less of it over time. Plus, since I am the cook, he is pretty amicable to anything I make : ). I hope you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for stopping by!
My office mates will be surprised when I put the slow cooker under my desk to make this at work…
Hi Lynne!
Can’t wait to hear what they say when the wafting aroma of black eyed peas infiltrates the office! They’ll be making their way to your desk with bowls in hand! LOL! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
I wonder if the rest of the gang in the office will be surprised when I roll in with a slow cooker and start making this under my desk? hmmmmmmm…
Nice job Traci! I love the addition of Tabasco..
Remind me to tell yo of my patented smoked Japanese root pickle that makes an nice, flavorful smoky broth.
Traci….. Congrats on your new and most excellent website. I watch rob eat wonderful food on a daily basis…… Most everyone is jealous and wanting to sample his dinner.
Thank you Chuck, for your kind comments!