Black-eyed peas and veggies are tossed in spicy buffalo tahini sauce in this easy Black Eyed Peas Veggie Bowls recipe. Perfect for meal prep or as a healthy weeknight dinner!
These spicy black-eyed pea veggie bowls are made using two of the best veggies that late summer has to offer: bell peppers and okra.
Pair sauteed cajun-seasoned veggies with black-eyed peas, rice and a spicy, creamy buffalo tahini sauce for the BEST quick weeknight dinner. You'll love how easy it is to mix up the creamy, spicy buffalo sauce that pulls these bowls together -- it's just three ingredients!
I'm on a veggie bowl kick right now. I recently shared coconut curry rice bowls, another meal-prep approved vegan bowl. These BBQ tofu bowls are also a hit!
There's just something so satisfying about combining a few simple whole food ingredients into something delicious!
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Nutrition
While many reserve black-eyed peas for New Years Day, (black-eyed peas with collard greens are said to bring good luck if eaten together on New Year's Day), these legumes are a good source of protein and fiber any time of year.
Dry, canned and frozen black-eyed peas are all nutritionally similar. If you use canned, be sure to drain and rinse to reduce the sodium content.
Choose the form of black-eyed pea that works best for you. I like to buy frozen black eye peas as they are usually sodium-free and require minimal prep.
By combining black-eyed peas with Vitamin C rich ingredients like bell peppers, your body can more easily absorb the non-heme iron found in the beans.
Recipe instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium pan over high heat. Once hot, add peppers and sliced okra. Saute on high heat for 3-4 minutes to sear the okra and peppers. This will lightly blacken the veggies without softening them too much.
- Add kale and cajun seasoning to the veggies. Saute for a minute more, until kale is wilted.
- Make the spicy dressing by mixing together buffalo sauce, tahini and cajun seasoning.
- To make one bowl combine ⅔ cup cooked rice, ½ cup black-eyed peas, ¼ of the vegetable mixture and 1-2 tablespoons dressing.
Serving ideas
I like to add a homemade cornbread muffin on the side for a little extra southern comfort.
You can use canned or frozen black eyed peas or you can make a batch of flavorful instant pot vegan black eyed peas.
This recipe makes enough for 4 veggie bowls that can easily be divided into individual containers for meal prep.
If you use the instant pot black eyed peas recipe you will have 1 extra cup of beans. Just enough to keep on hand for a last-minute meal!
For similar recipes check out this vegan black-eyed pea soup, oven-roasted okra or vegan jambalaya.
Black Eyed Pea Veggie Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen black-eyed peas see note
- 1 cup dry jasmine rice
- 1 and ½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ pound okra sliced in ½" pieces
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 3 cups loosely packed kale, torn into bite-sized pieces
- ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning divided
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
- ¼ cup tahini
Instructions
- To prepare jasmine rice: Rinse rice in cool running water until water runs clear (this will keep the grains of rice from sticking to each other). You can do this by placing the rice in a water-filled bowl or by using a fine-mesh strainer.
- Add rinsed jasmine rice and 1 and ½ cups water to a small stockpot. Bring to a rapid simmer on medium-high heat, then cover with a lid. Reduce to a simmer, simmering for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
- Prepare black-eyed peas according to package instructions (see notes for more options).
- In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Once hot, add sliced okra and diced bell pepper. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until okra and peppers are lightly blackened.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add torn kale to the okra and peppers and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of Cajun seasoning. Saute until kale is wilted, about 1-2 minutes.
- To prepare buffalo tahini sauce: combine buffalo sauce, tahini and ¼ teaspoon Cajun seasoning in a small mixing bowl. Mix until combined.
- To make one bowl: Add ⅔ cup cooked rice, ½ cup black-eyed peas, ¼ veggies, and 2 tablespoons sauce in a bowl. Stir together and enjoy!
Notes
- Black-eyed peas: If frozen black-eyed peas aren't available, you can use canned or cook from dry. One 15 ounce can will yield ~1.5 cups black eyed peas. Drain and rinse the canned black-eyed peas before using. If cooking from dry, ⅔ cup dry black-eyed peas will yield 2 cups cooked.
- Jasmine rice: One cup of dry jasmine rice will yield 3 cups of cooked rice. You can also prepare jasmine rice using a rice cooker or Instant Pot.
- Buffalo sauce: Also branded as buffalo wing sauce. Not all storebought buffalo sauce brands are dairy-free, but Frank's Red Hot Original Buffalo Wing Sauce is vegan.
- You can use frozen okra and peppers in place of fresh. Thaw before sauteing according to recipe instructions.
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