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Overhead view of gray bowl filled with sweet potato stew topped with sliced okra.
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5 from 3 votes

Sweet Potato and Black Eyed Pea Stew (Vegan)

Lightly smoky and spicy stew made with hearty vegan ingredients. Perfect for quick weeknight meals.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Southern
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 367kcal
Author: Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet onion finely diced
  • 1 medium green bell pepper
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 small jalapeño diced
  • 1 teaspoon dry thyme
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and diced into 1" pieces, see note #1
  • 1 and ½ cups black eyed peas see note #2
  • 1 can (15 ounces) petite diced tomatoes with juices
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 3 cups chopped kale loosely packed

Instructions

  • Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil. To the hot oil add diced onions, bell pepper and celery. Sprinkle with salt. Sauté 6-8 minutes, until the softened and golden.
  • Add the garlic, jalapeño and thyme and sauté for 1 more minute, until aromatic.
  • Add in the remaining ingredients: diced sweet potato, black-eyed peas, diced tomatoes with juice, vegetable broth, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika. Stir to combine.
  • Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduced to a simmer over medium-low. Cover and simmer the soup until the sweet potatoes are softened, about 15-20 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped kale. The heat of the soup will wilt them in 1-2 minutes. Taste for salt and spices. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  1. Sweet potato: Choose orange-fleshed sweet potatoes with red skins, not white or purple sweet potatoes.
  2. Black-eyed peas: Add frozen or canned black eyed peas directly to the pot; they don't need to be heated up in advance. You can also use these Instant Pot Vegan Black Eyed Peas. One can usually has ~1.5 cups black eyed peas.
  3. Kale: Spinach and collard greens also work. 
  4. Leftovers: Keep refrigerated for 3-4 days in a closed container. Reheat individual servings in a microwave or on the stove over medium/medium-low heat.
  5. Freezing: You can freeze this soup for up to 3 months. Let cool to room temp before freezing. It will need to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
  6. In the photos the soup is topped with sliced okra. I used my roasted okra recipe for this.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 367kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 571mg | Potassium: 1545mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 29927IU | Vitamin C: 108mg | Calcium: 212mg | Iron: 5mg