I made these Southern Style Meat Free Black Eyed Peas as part of my Traditional NYE Dinner, and I’m so excited to share the recipe with y’all. Black Eyed Peas with smoked turkey necks was one of my favorite things to eat growing up. Especially when served with some roasted turkey wings, rice, cabbage and cornbread. Yum. But when I completely cut meat out of my diet almost 6 years ago, I had to come up with an alternative way to enjoy the beans. I would put them in stews or serve them with a little salt and pepper. But that wasn’t good enough. I was missing the Southern style that I was raised on. So I came up with this recipe as an alternative.
Traditionally I’d use dry black eyed peas, soak them over night, then sort and rinse before cooking from scratch. But I’ve been using canned beans and the dish tastes just as good. Just make sure you choose salt free beans in bpa free cans. As with my Southern Style Meat Free Collard Greens, the key ingredient for this recipe is Liquid Smoke. It gives the black eyed peas the same flavor that smoked turkey necks or pork neck bones would. I also use smoked paprika for another layer of smokiness.
The reason why this recipe is Meat Free and not Vegan is because I use leftover fish grease in place of the chicken grease that is traditionally used. The fish grease adds another layer of flavor and also helps to thicken the bean juice. If you’re Vegetarian or Vegan, simply replace the fish grease with a drizzle of olive oil to add some grease to the dish. It will still be flavorful and delicious. Especially served up with my Gluten Free Sweet Skillet Cornbread. Now its get to this Southern Style Meat Free Black Eyed Peas Recipe.
Southern Style Meat Free Black Eyed Peas
Ingredients
- 2 cans black eyed peas (rinsed and drained)
- 1-2 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- salt and black pepper (to taste)
- 1/3 cup leftover fish grease (or drizzle of olive oil)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the black eyed peas. Add the beans to a 2 qt sauce pan and pour in the cup of water.
- Season the black eyed peas with the liquid smoke, salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Bring the beans to a slight boil.
- Now give the pan a good stir while slowly pouring in the leftover fish grease (or olive oil).
- Cover the pan and simmer on low until the beans are tender and the juice thickens.
- Stir the pan every 10-15 minutes to make sure that the beans are not sticking and that the liquid doesn't cook out. Add more water and seasoning as needed.
Notes
- Dried or frozen black eyed peas may be used instead of canned. If using dried peas, a half of pound should work well for this recipe.
- If you ‘re Vegetarian or Vegan, simply replace the fish grease with a drizzle of olive oil to add some grease to the dish. It will still be flavorful and delicious.
