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This black-eyed pea soup is a vegan version of a southern tradition. With added sweet potatoes, kale, and the use of a slow cooker, it makes for a comforting and filling soup.
This post participated in the 2020 Juneteenth Cookout Takeover. This initiative was established to encourage the celebration of Juneteenth – a jubilee of freedom to commemorate the end of physical slavery – and to amplify the food traditions of black/melanated/moor/ culinary creatives. Juneteenth (a merge of the words/date June Nineteenth) marks the date in 1865 that the last enslaved people learned of their physical freedom.
For over 150 years since, Black/Melanated/Moor American families, home-cooks, chefs, and culinarians have commemorated the summer holiday with a wide range of food traditions that tell a story of the perseverance of a people. This holiday has always been an alternative of the traditional 4th of July Holiday in order to celebrate true freedom of Black/Melanated/Moor human beings.
Did you know that there is magic in your food? Eating black-eyed pea soup for the New Year is good for the following reasons:
- Dried beans expand in volume which symbolizes expanding wealth for the upcoming new year.
- Black-eyed peas loosely resemble coins.
- When served with greens it represents good luck (four-leaf clover), U.S. paper currency, and your higher heart chakra.
- When served with cornbread it symbolizes gold because of its yellow color.
See I told you? It’s magic.
Do I Have to Soak Black-Eyed Peas Before Cooking?
Yes!
No matter if you are cooking your dried black-eyed peas on a stove top, electric pressure cooker, or slow cooker, you should ALWAYS soak your beans.
Most beans have enzyme inhibitors that are released once soaked so that you can absorb the nutrients fully. It’s not just about a quick cook time, it’s about health so make sure you SOAK YOUR BEANS.
Soak your black-eyed peas beans for 8 hours or overnight.
What to Eat with Black-Eyed Pea Soup?
- On New Years! Eat a large bowl of this with a slice Spelt Cornbread.
- Eat as a Side Dish. A Sunday soulful dinner is delicious with Fried Oyster Mushrooms, Dairy Free Mac and Cheese, and Vegan Candied Yams.
- Eat on a Cold Winter Night. Curl up to this soup with some crackers or tortilla chips!
How to Make Black-Eyed Pea Soup
*Please read detailed and printable recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
Add Components to Your Slow Cooker
- Saute your onions and garlic along with adding Cajun Seasoning Mix. (Photo 1 & 2)
- Then add your soaked black-eyed peas, saute’ onions, garlic, and stock to your slow cooker. (Photo 3 & 4)
Slow Cook Your Soup on High
- Cook black-eyed peas for about 6 hours on high until tender. Stir around and add chopped sweet potatoes. (Photo 1 & 2)
- Next, add kale and more cajun seasoning. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 hours on high. (Photo 3 & 4)
Substitution, Cook, and Storage Tips
- The Cajun Seasoning Mix really gives this recipe a ton of flavor! DO NOT skip!
- Also, don’t skip the liquid smoke. It gives this meal a smokiness you would normally get from smoked meat.
- If you don’t like kale, you can substitute with collard greens, turnips, mustard greens, or a mixture of greens!
- Pinto beans would also work perfectly with this dish!
- This recipe will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days and in the freezer for about 1 month.
Vegan With Curves Star Ingredient
Sweet potatoes are the Vegan With Curves star ingredient of this recipe. One serving of sweet potatoes contains 24 grams of “Curvy” Carbohydrates.
To make this more weight loss (waste/weight release friendly) you could:
- Swap out the sweet potatoes for butternut squash.
- Serve 1 1/2 cups to lower the portion size.
- Serve with large raw salad instead of vegan cornbread or tortilla chips.
More Slow Cooker Recipes You’ll Love
Other Soup Recipes to Try
Additional Juneteenth Vegan Recipes
- Beautiful Eats & Things | Spiced Grilled Peaches
- Ethically Living | Vegan Jackfruit Jamaican Patties
- Murielle Banackissa | Vegan Saka Saka (Congolese Cassava Leaf & Spinach Stew)
- Open Invitation Entertainment | Coconut Collard Greens
- Orchids + Sweet Tea | The Ultimate Vegan Mac + Cheese
- Savor and Sage | Black-Eyed Pea Salad
- That Green Lyfe | Vegan Red Red Stew (Spicy Ghanaian Black-Eyed Peas) and Plantain
- The Vgn Way | Juneteenth Hibiscus Strawberry Vegan Ice Cream
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What People Are Saying About This Recipe
Gina Marie!!! Girl, this soup is a hit in the Lewis home! I only wish I had doubled everything, because I was wrong when I thought only I would be eating it and would have it for a week…WRONG! Our teen daughters scarfed and slurped through most of it today. I could literally have this everyday! Thank you Gina for the recipe. – Shontail
Black-Eyed Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried black eyed peas
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter or oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves fresh garlic cloves, minced and chopped
- 1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning Mix or store bought
- 32 ounces unsalted (or low sodium) vegetable stock or broth will
- 4 +1 cups water, divided
- 1 + 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke, divided
- 1-2 dry or fresh dried bay leaves optional
- 4-6 cups kale
- 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning Mix additional
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
Equipment
Instructions
Soak Your Black-Eyed Peas
- Pick over black eyed peas removing any bad beans and debris.
- Soak beans in 4 cups of cold water enough to fully cover beans for 8 hours or overnight.
Saute' Your Onions and Garlic
- Heat vegan butter or oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Add onions to a skillet and cook until softened for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in fresh garlic and 1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning Mix and fully coat onions and garlic for about 60 seconds.
- Remove from heat.
Add Ingredients to Your Slow Cooker
- Transfer cooked onions and garlic into slow cooker.
- Next, pour in vegetable stock, 1 cup of water, liquid smoke, and soaked black eyed peas into your slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on high for 6 hours until peas are tender. (9 hours on low).
- After 6 hours, stir in kale, sweet potatoes, 1 1/2 tablespoon of Cajun Seasoning Mix, 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke, dried bay leaves (optional), and sea salt.
- Cover and cook on high for an additional 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
- Turn off slow cooker and let soup cool. Pull out bay leaves, and serve.
Video
Notes
- The Cajun Seasoning Mix really gives this recipe a ton of flavor! DO NOT skip! (You can use store bought cajun seasoning if you desire).
- Don’t skip the liquid smoke. It gives this meal a smokiness you would normally get from smoked meat.
- If you don’t like kale, you can substitute with collard greens, turnips, mustard greens, or a mixture of greens!
- Pinto beans would also work perfectly with this dish!
- You can use kohlrabi, white potatoes, or turnips instead of sweet potatoes if you desire.
- This recipe will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days and in the freezer for about 1 month.
- I would caution against lowering the amount of salt (unless you have a medical issue that requires you to do so). You don’t want bland soup and we are cooking a LARGE number of beans.
Stove Top Directions
- You will need to pre-cook your beans first if you are doing it over a stove.
- Sort and soak your beans as stated above. Then add 6 -8 cups of water to a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Cook your black-eyed peas on low heat for 1 ½ – 2 hours until beans are tender.
- Or you can use 2 BPA free organic black-eyed peas in a can to save time.
- Heat vegan butter or oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Add onions to the skillet and cook until softened for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in fresh garlic and Cajun Seasoning Mix and fully coat onions and garlic for about 60 seconds.
- Next add broth, water, liquid smoke, kale, sweet potatoes, and cooked black-eyed peas to a large pot. Turn down low and simmer for about 30 minutes covered.
- Optional: After 30 minutes take a cup of the bean mixture and pour in a blender. Blend for a few seconds and add back to the pot and simmer for 10 more minutes. This makes it more creamy.
- Turn off and let cool. Serve with vegan cornbread, rice, or salad.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published on December 29, 2018, but was republished with step by step instructions, tips, and recipe testimonials on January 2, 2020.
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What is the division of the water for? You’ve got 4 cups plus 1 cup…
My friend made this and it was amazing! I’m making it today with mixed beans.
Ooops sorry I will specify more clearly in the directions! The 1st 4 cups are for soaking the dried black-eyed peas. The 1 cup gets added to your slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients.
This is one of my favorite recipes! I did add Frozen Okra, diced tomatoes, carrots, celery and eliminated the butter. I also made vegan sweet potato muffins to pair with the soup. This recipe is the BEST!!!!!!
That sounds good! So glad you like the recipe!
This is great. I am Vegan so so I tweaked it a little and added Vegan
Bacon and some extra salsa and green tobacco plus a smidgen of liquid smoke. I also threw in a hand full of dollars greens in with the kale. Your version is great. I am one of those who keeps adding. Thank you.
Gina, I actually tried this recipe this week. I added both the kale and potatoes before heading to work that very day and it was ready to serve when I came home. The smell alone was inviting. Very good recipe. Easy to make. Does it freeze well?
So glad you liked it! Yes you can freeze it!
Gina Marie!!! Girl, this soup is a hit in the Lewis home! I only wish I had doubled everything, because I was wrong when I thought only I would be eating it and would have it for a week…WRONG! Well, I didn’t quite convince the hubs only because he won’t try it due to the beans. However, our teen daughters scarfed and slurped through most of it today. Thank God they didn’t try it until today or else I wouldn’t have gotten even a spoon of it yesterday when I got the first bowl.
Well, I guess I better start soaking more beans, because I could literally have this everyday! Thank you Gina for the recipe. I can’t wait to try more and Happy Blessed New Year!
So happy you and your family enjoyed it! Men are like that aren’t they? lol My guy is the exact same way…they will come around one day ?
what a healthy warm winter soup!!! love it –
Mmm This looks simply amazing!!! YUM!!!!
This looks so good! A great tradition to have in your family!
I will be making a big pot of this to get me through these cold months. It looks flavorful and delicious. I love that is is healthy also.
It’s definitely keeping me warm during these single digit temperatures!
Mmmmmmm, I can just taste this now…the liquid smoke is genius!
My favorite ingredient!
Girl- this soup looks amazing! Perfect for a cold winter’s day! My grandmother used to make a homemade dinner roll that had liquid smoke in it, so I’ve got that on hand! Gonna definitely try this recipe!
Wow now that sounds good! ?
YUM! This soup looks delicious and so comforting in cold winter days ♥
This looks so comforting, heartwarming, and I need more good luck too! Great combination of ingredients. So perfect for the cold snowy days!
Yes! Especially on nights like this one it’s currently 9 degrees in my area.
I absolutely love liquid smoke. I think it is one of the coolest ingredients to cook with. Also I really love all of the information you shared about each ingredient and I had no idea that black eyed peas are associated with good luck.. I need good luck so i’ll be making this recipe!
Thank you! Liquid smoke is my favorite ingredients too it is this vegan’s lifesaver lol