Almost Vegan Black-Eyed Peas & Greens

 Almost Vegan Black-Eyed Peas & Greens

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried black-eyed peas
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1-2 yellow or red bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 3 ribs of celery, diced
• 2 tsp. ancho chili powder (or other spicy/smoky chili powder)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 cups broth of your choice (I used Edward & Sons "Not-Beef" bouillon cubes)
• Splash of liquid smoke
• Splash of red wine
• Squeeze of lemon
• Splash of Worcestershire sauce (if you use Lea & Perrins, this is what makes it non-vegan)
• Whole bunch of Lacinato kale, torn off stem and into bite-size pieces

Directions:

1. Soak black-eyed peas according to preferred method - either over night in cold water, or "quick soak" method (bring to a boil, boil for two minutes, soak in cold water for an hour).
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add onion and cook about 10 minutes until browned. Add peppers and celery and cook 3-6 minutes, until all veggies are soft. Add garlic and ancho chili powder and stir. Add thyme, oregano, paprika, pepper, parsley, and salt and stir briefly. Add black-eyed peas and broth, bring to a boil, lower to simmer.
3. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender, about 45-60 minutes. During cooking, add wine, lemon, and Worcestershire sauce and stir well. If need be, add a bit more broth along the way. Add kale approximately 10 minutes before end of cooking and stir well.
4. When ready, serve immediately over brown rice. Top with Frank's Red Hot sauce. Enjoy!