Food is such an integral part of southern culture, and New Year’s Day is no different. One of my clearest memories of ringing in a new year is my mom in the kitchen making her famous cornbread, a pot of black-eyed peas and some tender collard greens. I’m sorry to say that I didn’t appreciate this simple meal and tradition as a kid but looked forward to it every year once I got older. For many years after I moved out and got married, I was still back home on January 1st to have my mama’s food. I vividly remember the first time I was in my own home, just me and my husband, unexpectedly on New Year’s Day with no black-eyed peas, greens, or cornbread. I ran to the grocery store only the be met with no dried peas or collard greens. I had to great creative. I couldn’t let the day go without those peas and greens. My New Year’s Day Stew recipe was born which uses canned black-eyed peas and your choice of green leafy veggie (I often use kale). Before we dive into the recipe let’s talk about the importance of this tradition and why peas and greens are a wonderful addition to a healthy dietary pattern.
While the peas and greens tradition is most often associated with the American South and tied to limited food rations during the Civil War, the notion of having some type of legume and green leafy vegetable on the first day of the year is present in many other countries. Regardless of location, the symbolism remains the same… luck and prosperity. The legume often represents coins while the greens are symbolic of paper money. Serving them up in a new year is an important part of heralding in good luck and prosperity for the year to come.
Black-eyed peas are an excellent source of plant-based protein while being naturally cholesterol free and packed with fiber. That makes these legumes a budget friendly way to add high-quality nutrients to your plate. Green leafy vegetables like collard, turnip or mustard greens, cabbage, kale, or chard are extremely low in calories while being high in vitamins like A, C, and K as well as other micronutrients such as iron and potassium. Both the peas and the greens are normally seasoned with pork like a ham hock, bacon or salt pork. You can swap that for a lower fat option like smoked turkey wings or go completely animal-free (but delicious) by using smoked paprika. Like regular paprika, smoked paprika is made from dried red peppers that are ground into a powder. The peppers used in smoked paprika are smoked over an oak fire giving the powder a wonderfully intense smoky flavor that is an excellent substitution for smoked or cured meats in recipes.
I hope you enjoy the recipe, but however you have your peas and greens don’t forget to leave 2 peas on your plate……this helps leave a little bit of luck behind you to carry you into the new year.
New Year’s Day Stew
- medium white or yellow onion, diced
- carrots, diced
- stalks of celery, diced
- cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups of low sodium vegetable stock
- can of rotel tomatoes
- can of black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- teaspoons of low sodium cajun seasoning
- teaspoon smoked paprika
1 large bunch of green leafy vegetable, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
This stew can be cooked on the stove top or in the slowcooker. If using a slow cooker, add all ingredients except the greens to the slow cooker, and cook on low for 3 hours. Stir in the greens and cook for an additional 1 hour. If using the stove top, add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to a stock pot and place over medium heat. One the vegetables begin to brown and stick to the pot, add the stock, rotel tomatoes, peas, and seasonings. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, stir in the chopped greens, recover and simmer another 15-20 minutes until greens are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
I like to serve mine over rice to soak up all the yummy juices and top with a few dashes of hot sauce.
