WW Recipe of the Day: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Black Eyed Peas
Happy New Year!
Is it a tradition for you to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day? It's not for me. Probably because I didn't grow up in the South.
Spicy Southern Style Vegetarian Black-Eyed Peas
But January 1st marks the beginning of a new tradition, with these slow cooker vegetarian black eyed peas.
According to southern tradition, eating black-eyed peas on January 1st, brings good luck in the coming year. It's also a good idea to eat your peas with rice and braised collard greens because their green color symbolize money/riches.
I'm feeling a strong pull to do whatever I can to start the new year on the right foot. And from a health perspective, eating black-eyed peas and collard greens seems like a great idea. Both are nutrition rich power foods.
The Skinny on Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas
I got the idea for making these slow cooker vegetarian black eyed peas from my good friend and hairdresser, Stormi. When I was in for my latest appointment, our conversation turned to food, which it often does.
She suggested I try Deborah Madison's recipe for Southern Style Black-Eyed Peas from her Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (affiliate link) cookbook. It sounded delicious!
But it's a stove top recipe and I wanted to let them simmer in the slow cooker, so I also consulted Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly Revised and Updated: 600 Healthy, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for ideas and slow cooker cooking times.
I stirred everything together and set them to cook in my Programmable Slow Cooker (affiliate link) on LOW for 8 hours.
I woke up this morning to my first batch of perfectly tender black-eyed peas. We'll enjoy them later with rice, healthy braised collard greens and cornbread for a healthy Southern feast.
Best wishes for a happy, healthy prosperous New Year!
How Many Calories and WW Points in these Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas?
According to my calculations, each serving has 137 calories and:
6 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
0 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
0 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
4 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
Can I Make Vegetarian Black Eyed Peas in the Instant Pot?
Yes, you can convert this slow cooker recipe to the Instant Pot (affiliate link)...
Pressure cook for 15 minutes with a Natural Pressure Release:
Lock the lid and pressure cook for 15 minutes in an electric pressure cooker, or 12 minutes in a stovetop pressure cooker. (On the Instant Pot (affiliate link), use the Manual or Pressure Cook setting, and set the cook time to 15 minutes.) When the cooking time is over, let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 minutes. (You can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes if you're in a hurry.) Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid any hot steam.
Season and serve:
Taste and stir in salt and pepper until the beans go from bland to fully seasoned. (I usually add another half teaspoon to teaspoon of kosher salt to the pot, plus a lot of fresh ground black pepper.) Serve and enjoy!
If you've made these Vegetarian Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Southern Style Slow Cooker Vegetarian Black Eyed Peas Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 2-¼ cups 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
- 6 cups water or vegetable stock
- 2 to 3 drops liquid smoke (affiliate link) (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Ideal slow cooker size: 5- to 6-Quart.
- Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours, until the peas are tender. When done, remove the bay leaves and discard them.
- Pressure cook for 15 minutes with a Natural Pressure Release: Lock the lid and pressure cook for 15 minutes in an electric pressure cooker, or 12 minutes in a stovetop pressure cooker. (On the Instant Pot (affiliate link), use the Manual or Pressure Cook setting, and set the cook time to 15 minutes.) When the cooking time is over, let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 minutes. (You can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes if you’re in a hurry.) Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid any hot steam.
- Season and serve: Remove and discard the bay leaves. Taste and stir in salt and pepper until the beans go from bland to fully seasoned. (I usually add another half teaspoon to teaspoon of kosher salt to the pot.)
Recipe Notes
Recipe inspiration: Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly Revised and Updated: 600 Healthy, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker (affiliate link) by Phyllis Good
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
More Black Eyed Peas Recipes for Weight Watchers
- Weight Watchers Southern Style Black Eyed Peas with Collards Found at Weight Watchers.
- Paula Deen's Spicy Black Eyed Peas Found at The Food Network.
- Slow Cooked Black Eyed Peas with Ham from Gina at SkinnyTaste.
- WW Hoppin' John Salad with Quinoa
- Hearty Black Eyed Pea Soup with Sausage & Vegetables
If You Like Vegetarian Black Eyed Peas You Might Also Like:
- Easy Baked Bean Soup - a super easy healthy vegetarian bean soup with just 5 ingredients
- Vegetarian Chili - 4 great recipes for vegetarian chili
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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Whitnie
Do you pre-soak the beans?
Martha McKinnon
Hi Whitnie, No, I didn't presoak the black eyed peas.
Emory
Could I cook them on high for a shorter cook time?
Martha McKinnon
I haven't tried them on HIGH but I don't see why not! I'd imagine they would take 3 to 5 hours. If you try it would love to have you tell us how they turn out!