[This New Year’s Stew was updated with new images and a few additional tweaks + options on December 29, 2020. The original recipe was posted on December 30, 2018.]
The new year is just a few days away people! That means it is time for all of you to plan on what you’ll be cooking. Now, if you own my cookbook you would know that I have a pretty killer Hoppin’ John Stew which is perfect for the occasion. However, because all of you don’t own my book (which makes me cry), I decided that I should have another perfect recipe for ringing in the new year available on the blog. And this is it…My New Year’s Stew! This recipe is hearty, wholesome, and chock full of good luck. Basically, if you make this stew and eat it on New Year’s Day, you will have a fabulous year where you makes lots of money and invite endless amounts of joy and positivity into your life. I know.. this is a big deal.
WHAT IS NEW YEAR’S STEW?
For any of you non-southerners out there, let me fill you in! You’re supposed to eat black-eyed peas and greens for good luck in the new year. Think of it as a symbol for wealth and success to come into your life. Some say the greens represent money and the black-eyed peas represent pennies (wait a minute, pennies? Can’t we shoot higher than that!?). Others say to eat cornbread as it represents gold. I honestly don’t even need a reason to eat any of these things because I love them all. You ain’t gotta tell me twice to eat no damn peas with rice, tender greens, and cornbread! Please.
I grew up eating Camellia beans and black-eyed peas, so they are very nostalgic to me. Funny enough, the packaging hasn’t changed since I was a little boy. Feel free to buy your peas from the bulk section, if you’d like, and if purchasing canned peas, I try to buy organic and non-BPA lined cans. If you’d like to try making them from scratch, keep scrolling and I will tell you exactly how I do it. Luckily, black-eyed peas are super easy because they don’t take long to cook at all.
KEY INGREDIENTS FOR NEW YEAR’S STEW
Now let’s talk a little bit more about this stew: I strayed away from using too many herbs. I really wanted the flavor of the cabbage and peas to shine through. This stew is loaded with large chunks of vegetables so it has a lot of variation in texture when eating and this makes it very hearty and satisfying. For the protein, you can add some of your favorite store-bought vegan sausage or you could add some roasted mushrooms. This year, I opted for cremini mushrooms which I thickly sliced, tossed in a skillet with some oil, tamari, nutritional yeast, and liquid smoke and roasted until they became rich in color and flavor. Don’t worry, the full recipe is below.
Moving right along, see those big chunks of cabbage? Don’t worry, they become tender and succulent once cooked. This is the perfect contrast to large chunks of boiled potatoes and dark green strips of collard greens. The black-eyed peas provide little plump pops of texture and flavor. When serving soups and stews, I always like to sprinkle on top some sea salt and pepper for an extra kick of flavor to enhance the dish. Parsley and sliced green onions or chives are also very welcome.
TIPS & TRICKS
You’ll notice here a sliced jalapeño! That is totally optional but I think it’s quite nice as it provides a little tickle of spice. You’ll also notice that I cut the carrots into large chunks, as well as the celery. For the onion, I opted for thick slices. You could chop these up any way you’d like. I just love the look and feel of big beautiful chunks. It’s nice to have something to sink your teeth into. Especially with a stew.
Full disclosure, this recipe makes a ridiculous amount. Like, soccer mom with 5 kids kinda gig. If you do not have a very large pot (around 7.25 quarts), you will most definitely need to halve this recipe. I would say it feeds close to 12 people. Now, if you do make the whole batch, it does keep nicely in the fridge for a few days and you can also freeze it!
I also wanted to point out that I call for cherry tomatoes in this stew. I think they are just lovely in this! They basically melt into the dish, upping the umami while also providing a burst of acidity that really wakes everything up. While the stew is cooking, I like to also roast the mushrooms and bake off a batch of my ‘Easy Baked Rice‘ in the oven. By the time the soup is done, the mushrooms will be ready to throw in and the rice will be fluffy. (I also highly recommend whipping up a batch of cornbread to go with this- it’s a really nice addition!)
PREPARING THE PEAS
Before we dive in, you can totally use canned peas for this. I’ve also even seen freshly steamed black-eyed peas available at the store as well, which you could use. But I will always usually go for cooking my own. If you ask me, cooking dried peas and beans can be quite therapeutic. Sorting, rinsing, soaking- I love it! Of course, they also taste better than canned and rightfully so. You showed them some extra TLC and any pea or bean will appreciate that. Some require more time to soak and take longer to cook, so these instructions may vary for other varieties. Right now, let’s just focus on black-eyed peas, as they take less time to soak and cook than most and we’re using them in the new year’s stew.
I like to soak my peas overnight. First, sort through them and remove any weird pieces or anything other than peas. Then cover the peas with a few inches of water. This allows the water to slowly absorb into the peas which allows them to cook evenly and more quickly. This also draws out some of the phytic acid, which can cause bloating. If you are strapped for time but would still like to do this, you can do a quick soak. Simply throw the beans in a medium-sized pot and cover with an inch or two of water. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Cover with the lid and let the peas steep for 30 minutes. Drain the peas and rinse them well.
COOKING THE PEAS
To cook, transfer the drained peas back to the pot and cover with fresh water. Throw in a piece of kombu (dried seaweed- for flavor and to help aid in digestion), a bay leaf or two, a good drizzling of olive oil, black pepper and salt, and bring to a boil. (Some would say that adding the salt now makes the peas tough but I have made them both ways with these peas and I can’t notice a difference. Up to you…) Once to a boil, remove the kombu and reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring every so often until the peas are tender. Done!
(Hot tip: you can use some of this delicious broth in the stew. Just swap it out with some of the water called for.) If you do not want to use all of the peas in this dish, you can store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container with the cooking liquid for a few days in the fridge.
WANT TO TRY OTHER SOUPS & STEWS?
I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS NEW YEAR’S STEW
Aside from all of the luck and tradition, this new year’s stew was also inspired from a recipe my mama would make for my father. It was basically braised cabbage with potatoes and sausage, a Polish classic. (If you didn’t know I am part Polish, now you do.) And now this very recipe has become a New Year’s classic for myself (and many of you!). So go grab you some ingredients and make a big ole pot of stew. Share it with your friends and family and ring in the New Year fabulously. Happy cooking, y’all.
Timothy
Ingredients
1 lb dried black-eyed peas or 3-4 cans cooked, drained and rinsed
1 large yellow onion, chopped or sliced
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 small jalapeño, sliced
1 heaping cup chopped celery (large chunks)
1 heaping cup chopped carrots (large chunks)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped or sliced
3 cups new potatoes or baby red potatoes, cut into large chunks
1 small head green cabbage, roughly chopped into chunks (about 8 cups)
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons vegetable bouillon base (i.e. Better Than Bouillon no-chicken or garlic base)
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (less or more, if desired)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed and halved
14 oz plant-based sausage (your favorite) or 1 pound sliced mushrooms*
9 cups spring or filtered water
3 cups roughly chopped collard greens (de-stemmed, if desired)
Easy Baked Rice, to serve
Freshly chopped chives, green onions, or parsley, to garnish
*Roasted Mushrooms
1 pound desired mushrooms (i.e. cremini, shiitake, trumpet, or button)
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons tamari
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Salt and pepper, a sprinkle
½ teaspoon ground sage
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
2-3 small fresh sage leaves (optional)
Instructions
1. If you are using dried peas, you will need to soak and cook them. Refer to the blog post above to see how I do this. If you are using canned peas, simply open ‘em up and give them a good rinse. Set aside. (If using roasted mushrooms and baked rice, get those in the oven now so they can cook while making the soup.)
2. In a large pot (at least 7.25 quarts), add onions, bell peppers, jalapeño (if using), celery, carrots and a good drizzle of olive oil. Season with a few pinches of sea salt and pepper. Bring to medium heat and cook for about 7 minutes, until the vegetables become tender and juicy, stirring every so often.
3. Next add in the garlic, potatoes, cabbage, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, vinegar, tamari, sea salt, bouillon paste, pepper and red pepper flakes. Give it a good mix and cover for a few minutes until the cabbage starts to wilt. Mix and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring every so often, until everything is soft and tender and it smells delicious.
4. Add the sausage (if using), tomatoes, black-eyed peas and water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Cook at a low simmer with a cracked lid, stirring every so often, for about 20 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender to fork. Once done, throw in the collard greens and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until they become tender. If using roasted mushrooms, add those in now, as well.
5. To serve, ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with fluffy white rice, freshly chopped herbs, and a sprinkling of sea salt and black pepper. Hot sauce is welcome!
Roasted Mushrooms
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thickly slice or roughly chop desired mushrooms and toss into a large skillet or on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, nutritional yeast, tamari, liquid smoke, salt and pepper, ground sage, and fresh sage and rosemary. Mix well and roast for 45-50 minutes, until rich in color and reduced in size. This can also be made while the rice is baking which is also cooked at 350 for the same amount of time.
notes
As I said, this recipe makes A LOT. I used a large 7.25 quart dutch oven and the full amount fit perfectly. If you do not have a pot this large, I would cut this recipe in half and you should have no problems.
For the sausage, I recommend Beyond Hot Italian Sausage or Field Roast Italian Sausage. You can slice and brown it separately before adding it to the stew for added flavor or simply throw it in uncooked. It's up to you! This would also be delicious with Sweetearth's Mindful Chick'n or seasoned and pan-fried soy curls.
87 comments
Looking forward to trying the stew! You make your food look so pleasing with your beautiful photographs! Even foods I don’t like … I want to try! Continued success to you in 2019!
Well that is so lovely to hear! Thank you so much for the kind wishes. All the best to you as well!
My family and I just inhaled your stew! So delicious, hearty and healthy! We loved it, but all of your recipes are delicious!
Amazing! Thanks for letting me know. : )
This recipe makes my heart happy! I cannot wait to make it. I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve never used dried beans but you have inspired (& empowered!) me to do so! ? xo
Aww yay! Yes, give it a go and you’ll learn something new! It’s a very satisfying feeling to cook your own peas.
This sounds amazing! I’m sharing with my fam as we have to eat the New Years foods
I’m so glad! Please let me know what you think!
Thank you for helping me fall in love with cooking again and discovering Vegan cooking. Can’t wait to make this tomorrow as I contemplate the year ahead.
I also got your cookbook for Christmas which I am extremely excited about.
Thank you and Happy New Years!
Oh, that is so lovely to hear! I hope that you love this recipe. Happy New Years and Happy Cooking!
Thank you so much for this. Definitely making it for New Years. I LOVE black eye peas and usually eat them Greek style; drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice then sprinkled with salt. I’m long overdue for a change. We don’t get collard greens here on the Southern tip of Africa so I’m going to have to improvise a wee bit but hopefully, my usual improvisation tactics won’t spoil it. I’ve also promised myself a digital copy of your book as soon as possible. Wishing you a sparkling 2019.
You push and pull this recipe in whatever way you need sweetheart! I just want to inspire you to get into the kitchen. Instead of collards, you could totally use kale or mustard greens or spinach or whatever greens you like! Thank you for the kind wishes!
Will this lovely dish freeze? If so, I’ll make the whole recipe and freeze some for future enjoyment. If not, half will work fine! Thanks!
I haven’t tried that but I am fairly confident that it would! I have frozen soups and stews before and they were just fine so I would say yes!
I’m definitely making this for New Years Day! Unfortunately I can’t buy Beyond Meat sausages where I live. (Which makes me very sad.) I’ll be using Field Roast Italian vegan sausages. Thanks for all the inspiration you give. You are a joy to watch! Sending love from cold Ontario Canada. ❤️
That’s ok! You can still make it. I would say because the Beyond Sausage has so much flavor, to maybe add a bit more salt and pepper and maybe an extra splash of vinegar to liven things up! 🙂 Enjoy!
Made this yesterday for the fam and loved it so much! It was absolutely delicious. From one Mississippian to another, thanks for all you do. Buying your book next week!
Omg I love that!!! Thank you so much for letting me know. :)))
I’m making this tomorrow, thank you for the recipe! Am I supposed to cook the sausage before adding it to the stew?
Also thoughts on using mustard greens instead of collard greens? I realized when I got home that I accidentally grabbed mustards greens at the store. I don’t have any other use for them and don’t want to waste them, but I know they can be quite bitter…
No, you throw in the sausage uncooked. You could brown it if you’d like, which would be delicious, but not necessary. 🙂 It cooks and plumps up while in the stew.
They are quite bitter but when cooked they calm down a bit and I think they would work great in this stew!
My stew is cooking away! So glad I got to meet you so your recipes can come through in your voice. Happy New Year!!
Yum! I just made this and it’s so tasty. I’m now settled in for an extra cozy New Year’s Eve. Thanks for the great recipe!
This was SO GOOD! Happy New Year!
This was absolutely incredible! I tossed a bay leaf in with the stew and a couple bouillon cubes and it came out great! Everything I’ve made from your blog or your cookbook turns out amazing. Thanks Timmy!
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear!
Making this right now and it tastes AMAZING! Thank you and congrats on clearly an epic year for you! xxx
Big smile!!!
This was amazing! Wonderful way to start the new year and I think I will make it a tradition! Thank you!!
Love that! Thank you!
My husband just made this for dinner and it is the best stew we have ever had. He hates chopping ingredients but was bored so he decided to make this and very proud at how it turned out. Thanks so much for all the great recipes and Happy New Year!
Hahaha! Mississippi Vegan: putting boyfriends to work! So glad you liked it. 🙂
dear timmy,
last year i made your hoppin john stew for new years. today i made the new years stew. OH EM GEE it is perfection. making a mississippi vegan recipe will be a new years tradition! thank you for sharing your magic with us!
happy 2019.
That’s amazing! It is very touching to have a recipe to become a part of your life. Thank you.
Hey Positively (get that, I just watched your story on IG) Timmy, I made your New Year’s stew today, followed it to a T, even how I seasoned the rice! It is the first recipe I have made of yours and I can tell you, it won’t be the last. It is superb and you are doing great things by sharing your talents. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Awww, this is so lovely to read. Thank you!
I made this today, and it is so lovely! My store did not have Beyond sausage, so I used Lightlife Italian sausage – which I browned – and found that I did need an extra tablespoon of soy sauce for flavor. It made a ton, but it’s so delicious I won’t mind eating it all week!
Glad you were able to make a sub and I am thrilled that you like it. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing this great recipe! I made it without the vegan sausage but did add 2 fresh chopped jalapeños to the veggie sauté at the beginning. This stew was just as delicious as promised! I am not going to wait for New Year’s before I make this again.
I’m so glad you liked it!! Thank you for the sweet review.
This was great. I made it with kale instead of cabbage and cannellini beans instead of black eyed peas.
I support those swap outs- sounds great!
This recipe turned out great! My family loved it! Can’t wait to try more of your amazing recipes!
Yayyy, that is so lovely to hear. Thank you.
I love Beyond Sausage! Did you leave it in the casing and let it slowly break apart or make balls or slices?
Sorry, I took so long to respond… yikes! I actually always leave the casing on and I find that in something like these, it just dissolves. Happy Cooking!
It’s six months post New Years, but we made this today & it knocked our Sunday night socks off! So delicious. It was the inaugural dish for my new Dutch oven & worth every bite! Another winning MC recipe!
Haha! I love that. Yes, I agree this recipe can work anytime. I’m so glad you tried it out and had successful results. Thank you!
This is so scrumptious!!! I absolutely love the flavors, and so did my family…even the meat eaters! It makes a lot so I’ve been enjoying it for days. And I’m not tired of it yet!!?
I’m so glad! Thank you for the sweet comment. Happy New Year!
Made this for New Year’s Day and it was DELICIOUS! My husband is from NOLA and he loved it too. Thank you so much for the recipe and Happy 2020 to you!
So glad you liked it!
I made the stew yesterday for New Year’s Day with a few changes. I used purple cabbage, no celery and no collard greens. I used crowder peas instead of black eye peas. I only used 4 cups of water instead of 9.
We really liked it but it required a lot more salt than called for. I was also glad I only used 4 cups of water and thought I should have used veggie broth. I made the crowder peas from dry, cooked them, and then added after starting the stew.
I would definitely make it again but with all those changes.
Thanks for a fun recipe to try.
Absolutely delightful. Cheers to good luck and good fortune.
Thank you!
this is so good !!! just made it for the second time. Used the beyond sausages which I had to leave out last time and my omnivore mom says it’s the first vegan soup she’s had that hits the spot like chicken soup does. and i just think it’s so BOMB. thank you!
I love hearing that!! Thank you and tell mom hi!
I’ve made this numerous times since you posted the recipe – it’s one of our favorites! My husband requested it for Christmas dinner tonight – so that’s what we’re having. It’s so delicious – thank you!
Amazing! I definitely plan on making this for the New Year!
Just finished making a half-batch of this for New Year’s tomorrow. I subbed curly Kale in place of Collards since they we’re on hand. Delicious on taste test and I know those flavors will just soak in overnight and be amazing. Just bought your beautiful cookbook, too! Happy New Year and thanks for the healthy inspiration!
Yay! That makes me happy! Thanks for the love and support.
Such a good stew and a nice change of pace from your typical, bland new years food. The flavors are fantastic and loved the rice on top. Bonus was using the Rancho Gordo peas. I will definitely make this again. It makes a lot which is great because now I have leftovers for the week. What a great way to start the year!
I’m so glad you liked the recipe and I LOVE Rancho Gordo!
Am I making this stew in the middle of July? Why yes, yes I am. It is SO tasty! I love soups and stews, and when my boyfriend said he didn’t want our usual black eyed pea recipe, I knew just which blog would have an alternative recipe with them 🙂 I am already looking forward to making this in the winter…probably multiple times!
This makes me very happy to read. I am so thrilled you like the recipe. Thanks for the love.
I absolutely want to try this — it sounds delicious! It would be helpful to have your recommendation on the oven temperature for roasting the mushrooms. Thanks!
Updated! Thanks for catching that!
This has become a New Year’s tradition in our house – and I’m Japanese! This is one of our favorite soups ever – I make it several times throughout the year & it’s always perfect. There’s only 2 of us but I make the whole amount as written so we have plenty of leftovers & then some for the freezer. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes – I think you’re brilliant! I have your cookbook & have truly enjoyed all the recipes I’ve tried so far. Anyway, just thought I let you know you were part of our New Year celebrations yet again.
Sharon! Your comment is so touching and sweet. I appreciate you very much for the kind words!! So happy you like my recipes. Sending you lots of love!
I made this last night to have for today. I contemplated halving the recipe but I’m awfully glad I didn’t. I went to put it away after leaving in to cool on the stove and my feral family had already eaten at least 1/3 of it! Needless to say that it is delicious and I can fully blame their bad behavior on the amazing smell coming from the kitchen while I was cooking. I have a feeling I’ll be making this again soon. Anytime kids are “sneaking” huge bowls of vegetables, you know you have a winner! Than you!
Sara! Thank you for this. I had fun reshooting and updating this recipe and I am so happy to hear you enjoyed it. And the kids are eating veggies?! Fab!! Thanks for letting me know.
Hello! I watched you and Lauren last night on YouTube, and I was inspired to make this stew instead of “just” black eyed peas. I didn’t have every ingredient on hand, but I had about 80 percent of what you called for in this recipe. This stew is the bomb diggity!! I think this is the year of purchasing your cookbook!!! Thank you for sharing your recipes!!! Happy 2022!!
Hey Carolyn! Thank you so much for the sweet comment. I am so happy you were able to make them your own and enjoy it! Happy cooking!
One adjustment to the recipe…The roasted mushrooms are not an option, they are the STAR. Wow, this is so easy and super yum! I haven’t made one of your dishes that didn’t impress us. Thank you so much.
Oh yay! I am so happy to read this. I wanted to update the recipe and I thought that these roasted mushrooms would really pop- so I am thrilled that you liked them!
Feed to my family for new years two years in a row! Everyone even non vegans loved it! We used beyond sausage
Thank you for letting me know Amanda! This is so lovely to read. Happy New Year!
This was delicious! I didn’t use the rice but made the roasted mushrooms and they were so good just by themselves. Skipped the nutritional yeast, onion powder as I didn’t have them. Used grated parmesan on the soup when I served it. Will make again.
Thank you, Carol! So happy you enjoyed the stew!
This was absolutely delicious. The leftovers were gone the next day after breakfast! Half of us are vegetarian, the other half are not. I was raised in New York by a mother from Brooklyn and a father from small town Alabama (I always favored the southern side). A new years didn’t go by without collards, black eyed peas and corn bread on the table, as well as throughout the year.
I love your recipes. Thank you.
Hi Lu! Thank you for the sweet comment. Big smiles over here! Happy cooking!
This was outstanding! I almost never leave blog comments but this was too good. I won’t even be sad that we’ll have to eat this for every meal for a week to polish it off!
Well, I am so glad that you did, Heather! This comment made my day. I hope that you have a fabulous new year! Happy cooking and all my best, t
I’ve made the hoppin John recipe from your cookbook several times, but this year I was pinched for time and used frozen black eyed peas and did it in a crockpot. The peas never really got soft and I’m not sure why. Could you offer some insight?
Hi there! Hmm, I wonder if the beans just needed to be cooked a bit longer. I’m wondering if they were brought to boil separately and then added if that would have helped. I believe frozen peas are just quickly blanched as opposed to canned, which are thoroughly cooked. I’m hoping they eventually softened up! Hope this helps and happy new year!
This was sooo good. Made it exactly to the recipe, but used the Beyond Hot Italian sausages like you suggested (I’ll try the mushrooms next time). Thank you for this recipe! I really like your method of layering flavors. The succotash stew from your book is one of my favorites too.
Molly! Thank you so much for this lovely comment. So happy to hear you are liking my recipes. Happy cooking!