Black-Eyed Pea Collard Stew (Printable)

A comforting Southern stew with black-eyed peas, collard greens, and smoky flavors for chilly days.

# 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, approximately 10 ounces, stems removed and leaves chopped
08 - 1 can diced tomatoes with juices, 14.5 ounces

→ 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 and Seasoning

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

# How To:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, celery, and jalapeño if using. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until vegetables are softened and translucent.
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, allowing spices to release their flavors.
04 - Add chopped collard greens and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes until they begin to wilt.
05 - Pour in diced tomatoes with their juices, black-eyed peas, vegetable broth, water, and bay leaves. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
06 - Bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until collard greens are tender and flavors have melded.
07 - Remove bay leaves from the pot. Stir in apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Ladle stew into bowls and serve hot. Accompany with cornbread if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in about an hour and a half, which means you can have soul-warming comfort food on the table on even your busiest weeknights.
  • The longer it simmers, the better it tastes, so it's forgiving enough for a beginner but deep enough to impress anyone who loves real, honest food.
  • One pot, minimal cleanup, and it makes enough to have leftovers that somehow taste better the next day.
02 -
  • Don't skip toasting those spices in the oil for that full minute, because that's when they transform from powder into flavor, and it makes a difference you can taste immediately.
  • If your collard greens taste bitter, it's usually because the heat was too high during cooking or you didn't remove enough of the woody stem, so low and slow is your friend here and proper prep prevents regret.
03 -
  • If you want that smoky depth without vegetable broth, substitute chicken broth and add one teaspoon of liquid smoke, which gives you more flexibility if that's what you have available.
  • Prep all your vegetables the night before and store them in separate containers, so all you have to do the next day is open your fridge and start cooking, which makes a weeknight meal feel achievable even when you're tired.
Go Back