A hearty pot of black-eyed pea stew that is filled with vegetables and topped with a bright and fresh green herb smash.
Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Green Herb Smash

I went on a bit of a black-eyed pea rampage around the turn of the year. Partly for (good) luck. Partly in a halfhearted attempt to KonMari my pantry, which is not a physical location, mind you, but a conglomerate mess that includes my cabinets, the kitchen floor, our front hall closet, etc.

The end result was us eating black-eyed peas for a week (or two) straight with no discernible improvement in my pantry clutter.

There are worse things.

Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Green Herb Smash

At this same time I was also really gung ho on HEALTH and DIETING and NOT EATING SUGAR FOR EVERY MEAL. I’m still on that bandwagon but in a slightly more relaxed way. So, yes, this stew is healthy but in a way that tastes really good. Like, disarmingly so.

There’s something about it that is just very fresh and clean flavored. It’s a palate cleanser for sure and will make your days feel a little more light and bright.

Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Green Herb Smash

Per the headnotes on the Epicurious site, this stew is of Palestinian descent. It is lightly spiced with nutmeg and red pepper flakes, which allows for the base of leeks, garlic, and chard (both the stalks and the leaves!!) to really shine through. What really “makes it”, though, is the green herb smash on top. I switched out the cilantro for parsley because I find it to be a really overpowering flavor sometimes and I wanted something that would bring out the lemony, herbaceous notes even more.

Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Green Herb Smash

I was a bit apprehensive about what the peanut gallery would think of it, but my husband surprisingly loved it and Remy (not surprisingly) wouldn’t even try it.

You win some, you lose some.

And then you get to eat the leftovers for lunch. (So, mostly win.)

Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Green Herb Smash

Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Green Herb Smash
 
A hearty pot of black-eyed pea stew that is filled with vegetables and topped with a bright and fresh green herb smash.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the stew
  • 1 leek, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1¾ cups cooked black-eyed peas
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder (I used Better Than Bouillon)
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1 bunch swiss chard, stalks thinly sliced and leaves finely shredded
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the green herb smash
  • A large bunch of parsley
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 ounce walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Juice of ½ a lemon
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the leek and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until tender. Add in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute for another 3-4 minutes, or until fragrant and beginning to brown. Add in the black-eyed peas, bouillon powder, and 1 cup of hot water. Bring to a simmer. Stir in the nutmeg, lemon juice, and chard stalks. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, combine all of the ingredients for the green herb smash in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Set aside.
  3. Once the liquid has reduced slightly, stir in the chard leaves. Season well with salt and black pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes to let the flavors combine. Scoop the stew into bowls and top with spoonfuls of the green herb smash.
Notes
Recipe from A Modern Way To Cook via Epicurious

 

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3 Responses to Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Green Herb Smash

  1. Pam says:

    I’ve never made black eyed peas…. this recipe looks delicious!

  2. Kate says:

    I’m making black eyed pea chili later this week!

  3. Laura Benzel says:

    We made this today and it is so delicious! The combination of flavors is really tasty. We paired with a glass of Zinfandel. Very satisfying. Thank you for another great recipe.

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