Flavorful, hearty, and yummy, this Instant Pot Cajun Black Eyed Pea Stew is as easy as it is delicious.  Perfectly seasoned with Cajun spices, this Whole Food Plant Based vegan stew is sure to become one of your favorite comfort foods making this dish a tasty Whole Food Plant Based recipe! Vegan, no oil, no refined sugar, no highly processed ingredients, and gluten free.

Hi!  Robin here.

I love black eyed peas. They are meaty little nuggets of yumminess.  When I first went Whole Food Plant Based, I struggled at first to feel satisfied and full. I kept wanting something filling and hearty.  I had made this Cajun Black Eyed Pea Stew recipe many times before going Whole Food Plant Based, so I just “WFPB’ed” it and “Instant Pot’ed” the recipe.   In doing so, I can always count on this recipe to satisfy me.  I have made it countless times, and it never fails to push the “hangries” away.

Healthy Greens

One of the new additions to this recipe since going Whole Food Plant Based is we started adding greens; any type of greens will typically work.  I have added spinach, escarole, and swiss chard in the past.  It really just depends on what I have in the house or in the garden at the time.

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TP109

This is one of TP109’s favorite stews.  He has so many favorites, but this one has got be up there near the top.  Sometimes, I think it is the corn biscuit that he loves to break up in his stew to soak up all that goodness that he loves. He is a dunker for sure.  I am too, I love to dunk “bread-like” items into my stews.  It just makes it cozy and hearty, right?

Instant Pot vs Stove Top

I originally made this recipe countless times on the stovetop, but now that Monkey and I have an Instant Pot, I am always trying to find ways to Instant Pot everything.  It tastes equally delicious using both cooking methods.

Cajun Spices

The heat factor on this recipe is about “medium-low.”  You can really kick up the heat if you wish by adding more cayenne pepper.  I would recommend adding the recommended recipe amount, then work from there.  You can totally add more heat and spices once the dish is complete.  But it is already really flavorful.

Ameera here!

I have never been a huge fan of black eye peas.  They are good, but if I have other bean options to choose from, I will typically pass on them.  However, I really enjoy this stew.  Mom makes it all the time, especially when it is cold outside.  It is so tasty and quite filling.

Speaking of the weather, I swear Ohio’s weather is so fickle.  Mother Nature gave us a tiny hint of Spring last week with 70 degree weather, then quickly snatched it away.  It has been cold and snowing for 3 days straight when we made this stew.  Ughhhh.

If it’s cold in your neck of the woods, give this cozy stew a try, you will be so glad you did. And if it is warm and sunny where you are, then use your Instant Pot and enjoy a hearty and filling stew.

Corn Muffins

Oh, and don’t forget to make these delicious corn muffins to accompany this stew!   They are so easy, fast, and really tasty!

Products Used:

• Food processor
• Instant Pot (if using instant pot cooking method)
• 8-quart Dutch Oven or other large stock pot (if using stovetop cooking method)
• Strainer to rinse the black-eyed peas

Instant Pot Cajun Style Black Eyed Pea Stew

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 9 Cups 1x
• Category: Stew, Dinner
• Method: Instant Pot, Stovetop
• Cuisine: Cajun

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Description

Flavorful, hearty, and yummy, this Instant Pot Cajun Black Eyed Pea Stew is as easy as it is delicious.  Perfectly seasoned with Cajun spices, this Whole Food Plant Based vegan stew is sure to become one of your favorite comfort foods making this dish a tasty Whole Food Plant Based recipe! Vegan, no oil, no refined sugar, no highly processed ingredients, and gluten free.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Holy Trinity Ingredients:

• 1 large yellow onion – finely minced in a food processor
• 2 celery stalks – finely minced in a food processor
• 1 green bell pepper – finely minced in a food processor

Stew Ingredients:

• 1 heaping Tablespoon finely minced garlic (about 4–5 garlic cloves)
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 4 ¼ cups vegetable broth (we used 1–32 oz. Pacific Organic Vegetable Broth*)
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons 100% pure organic maple syrup
• 2 cups dry black-eyed peas, picked through, rinsed thoroughly
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• Dash or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (see notes*)
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 2 ½ teaspoons sea salt (+/- to taste – see recipe notes*)
• ¼ teaspoon pepper (+/- to taste)

Slurry Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon corn starch
• 2 Tablespoons water
• Whisk the cornstarch with the water to create a slurry.

Other ingredients:

• Bunch of swiss chard, escarole, or baby spinach (we used 5 oz. spinach (about 3 cups packed) – see notes*

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Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions

1. Add the Holy Trinity ingredients (onion, celery, bell pepper) into a food processor, and process until the veggies are very finely minced, then add the Holy Trinity to the Instant Pot (no need to use sauté mode, it will be watery).
2. Add all other remaining ingredients (except the Slurry Ingredients and Other Ingredients) to the Instant Pot.
3. Set the Instant Pot manual high pressure cook for 20 minutes. When finished, allow to sit for 5 minutes, then do a quick release.
4. Once all the pressure is released, carefully remove the lid, remove the bay leaves (discard), and add in the swiss chard or escarole or baby spinach. Stir well to combine. Then add in the slurry mixture.  Stir well to thicken.
5. Serve over rice of choice.

Stovetop Instructions

1. Add the Holy Trinity ingredients (onion, celery, bell pepper) into a food processor, and process until the veggies are very finely minced, then add the Holy Trinity to a large ceramic/enamel lined Dutch Oven. Sauté over medium heat until the water has been released.
2. Add the finely minced garlic to the Dutch Oven and sauté for one minute.
3. Add all other remaining ingredients (except the Slurry Ingredients and Other Ingredients) to the Dutch Oven. Simmer over medium-low heat until the black-eyed peas are tender, approx. 40-50 minutes.
4. When the black-eyed peas are tender, remove the bay leaves (discard), then add the greens of choice. Stir well to combine.  Then add in the slurry mixture.  Stir to thicken.
5. Serve over rice of choice.

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Notes

*Vegetable Stock:  We use Pacific Organic Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.

*Cayenne Pepper: Use less cayenne pepper if you are looking for less heat. This is based upon personal preference.

*Greens (spinach, swiss chard, escarole:  You can add the greens of your choice or leave them out.  We have made this recipe multiple times, sometimes adding it in and other times leaving it out.  We have also steamed the greens separately and added them on top of our individual stew servings.

*Sea Salt: Sea salt is based on personal preference.

*Nutritional Information: Does not include rice or cornmeal biscuit. Shows sodium for only 1 tsp of sea salt.

*Serving: Makes 6 – 1.5 cup servings.

Storage:  Refrigerate, use within 7 days

This post contains affiliate links, and I may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here