Smoky Vegetarian Black-Eyed Peas

Voorbereiding

As a native Texan, my dad always made a big pot of black-eyed peas cooked with bacon on New Year's Day. The tradition goes that these are a must for good luck in the coming year. We’d always serve them with greens (to bring in money) and cornbread (because, well, it’s delicious). Over the years, I’ve adapted the dish to suit my vegetarian-ish lifestyle. Black-eyed peas have a natural smoky flavor, which I enhance with chipotle in adobo, then braise with collard greens and tomatoes for a dish that’s not only lucky, but nourishing and delicious. Make a big pot—they taste even better after a day or two.

*This recipe originally ran in the US on HexClad.com.

1. In the HexClad 5 QT/4.7 L Hybrid Dutch Oven, bring black-eyed peas, herbs, garlic halves and 8 cups water to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim any foam off the surface and season generously with salt. Boil for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are very tender, about 50 minutes (start checking at 30 minutes since the cook time really varies depending on how old the peas are). Strain peas, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. 
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a HexClad 4.5QT/4.3 L Hybrid Deep Sauté Pan over medium-high. Add fennel and shallot and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown and beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and chopped chipotle, cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and chipotle sauce, breaking up any large pieces of tomato with a wooden spoon. Fill the can of tomatoes with water, swirl it around and add that to the pot as well. Add in collard greens and toss until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until greens are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. 
3. Add peas and reserved cooking liquid to the collards. Return to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened and everything is warm, 8 to 10 minutes more. Stir in honey and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm with cornbread alongside.