Black-eyed Pea Collard Stew (Printable Version)

Comforting Southern stew with black-eyed peas, collard greens, smoked paprika, and rich savory flavors.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 large carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
07 - 1 bunch collard greens (about 10 ounces), stems removed, leaves chopped
08 - 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices

→ Legumes

09 - 3 cups cooked black-eyed peas (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)

→ Liquids

10 - 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
11 - 1 cup water

→ Spices & Seasoning

12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
15 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
16 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
17 - 2 bay leaves
18 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and jalapeño if using. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until softened.
02 - Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in smoked paprika, dried thyme, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute more to release flavors.
04 - Add chopped collard greens and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes until they begin to wilt.
05 - Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices, black-eyed peas, vegetable broth, water, and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
06 - Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the collards are tender and flavors have melded.
07 - Remove bay leaves. Stir in apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
08 - Serve hot with cornbread if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort wrapped in a bowl, the kind of meal that fills you up and settles your nerves at the same time.
  • Minimal prep work means you're mostly watching the magic happen while you attend to other things.
  • The recipe rewards patience without demanding perfection, so it forgives small mistakes and actually improves with time.
02 -
  • The stew will thicken as it sits, so if it seems a little loose when you finish cooking, that's actually fine—it'll tighten up overnight and be even better the next day.
  • Bay leaves are sneaky and easy to forget about, but fish them out before serving because biting into one is the kind of surprise that ruins an otherwise perfect meal.
  • Apple cider vinegar added at the end is not optional—it's the difference between a stew that tastes good and one that tastes like someone understood what they were doing.
03 -
  • Don't skimp on the simmering time—that forty-five to fifty minutes is when the magic actually happens, and rushing it means missing the moment when everything stops being separate ingredients and becomes something unified.
  • Taste as you go during the last fifteen minutes of cooking, adjusting salt and acid because these two things are what make a stew sing instead of whisper.
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