Name: One-Pot Vegan Smoky Black-Eyed Peas Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 15.5-oz cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained; 2 tbsp liquid smoke; 32 oz chicken broth; 1 tbsp The Spice Girl Kitchen Okie Rub; The Spice Girl Kitchen Tri-Salt Blend, to taste; 2 cups kale, chopped

zThis one-pot vegan black-eyed peas recipe is smokey, simple, and fresh! It comes together in less than 30 minutes with minimal ingredients. Plus, it packs a ton of nutrition with only 277 calories, 8 grams of fiber, and 16 grams of plant-based protein.

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I am so excited to share this recipe! This has been my go-to quick dinner for the past few months. There is so much to love about this recipe: it’s a one-pot meal that’s ready in less than 30 minutes, easy to clean up, flavorful & comforting, budget-friendly, stores & reheats well, and very nutrient-dense!

In this post, we will dive into the nutritional content of this meal, a cost breakdown, what liquid smoke is, storage & reheating information, and how to make vegan smokey black-eyed peas.

In this recipe, I use my salt-free Okie Rub spice blend from my spice company – The Spice Girl Kitchen. I’m completely biased because it is, after all, my spice recipe and the best salt-free Okie Rub seasoning on the market. But feel free to use whatever smokey seasoning you have on hand. Or, omit it altogether! It just adds a little somethin’!

This post is all about Vegan Black Eyed Peas Recipe!

Nutritional Breakdown

As a dietitian and a major foodie, I only subscribe to meals that are both nutrient-dense AND delicious. This is my favorite way to eat kale and I think it will become your favorite too. It may taste hardy, but it’s actually very light.

In just 277 calories per serving, it packs:

8 grams of fiber
16 grams of plant-based protein
and just 3 grams of fat

Per serving, the kale alone packs:

53% of your daily value for Vitamin A
30% of your daily value for Vitamin C
590% of your daily value for Vitamin K
4% of your daily value for folate and calcium
3% of your daily value for iron

And per serving, the black-eyed peas bring the following micronutrients to this recipe:

90% of your daily value for Folate
30% of your daily value for Manganese
15% of your daily value for Copper and Zinc
27% of your daily value for Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
24% of your daily value for Iron, Phosphorus, and Magnesium
10% of your daily value for Potassium

That’s a whole lot of nutrition packed in very few calories (the definition of nutrient-dense!).

Cost Breakdown

One of the many reasons I love this recipe is how affordable it is!! I shop at Aldi most of the time, so my cost breakdown will be based on those prices:

32-oz of chicken broth = $1.45
2 cans black-eyed peas = $2.50
Pre-chopped organic kale = $3.85 – we use a little less than 1/3 of the bag so let’s call it $1.25
3 lb bag of onions = $2.55 – we only use 1 onion so let’s call it $0.30
liquid smoke (from Amazon) = $7.84 – we only use 2 tbsp so let’s call it $0.50
The Spice Girl Kitchen Okie Rub = $7.00 – we only use 1 tbsp so let’s call it $0.50.

Considering the remaining ingredients use such a small amount, we will assume those used ingredients total $1. That makes the total cost about $7.50 for this entire recipe and only $1.88 per serving!

What is liquid smoke?

Liquid smoke is exactly what it sounds like – a smokey flavor in liquid form. You can get the same amazing smoky flavor in a little bottle sitting next to your gas stove that you would get if you were cooking over some hickory wood for hours – yes, please!

Liquid smoke is available in hickory, mesquite, applewood, and oakwood. Any of them would work well for this recipe!

How is liquid smoke made exactly?

There are two methods:

1. Condensation: In this method, the smoke is captured and condensed using a cooling system. The smoke is channeled through a series of pipes where it is cooled and condensed into a liquid form. The liquid is then filtered to remove any impurities and bottled for use.

2. Direct combustion: In this method, wood chips or sawdust are burned in a combustion chamber, and the smoke produced is collected and condensed in a similar way as the first method. However, this method can produce a stronger flavor and aroma compared to the condensation method.

From a nutrition perspective, it barely has any calories – meaning it’s a light way to add a TON of flavor!

Store & Reheat

As a general rule of thumb, soup tends to store and reheat well because the broth helps it retain its flavor and quality. Just one more reason to love this recipe!

Store

Fridge: Transfer the dish to a large glass storage container with an airtight lid. Allow it to cool to room temperature before securing the lid (about 30-45 minutes; the exact time depends on the amount of soup). Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freezer: You can also freeze the soup for up to 3 months. Make sure there is enough broth to cover all of the ingredients – you may need to add some before freezing. Place the soup in the fridge to thaw overnight for best results.

Reheat

Microwave: Place soup in a microwave-safe dish, cover, and microwave on high for 1-3 minutes or until heated through. Stir halfway through to warm it evenly.*

Stovetop: Place soup in a pot over medium heat. Once the soup is simmering, reduce to medium-low and cover for 3-5 minutes or until heated through. Stir occasionally.*

Oven: Not recommended.

* Total time depends on the amount you are reheating.