This started out 2021 right for us. Filled with chunks of delicious, home-made sausage and filled with hearty legumes and brown rice, it was a nutritious start to what will be a great year.

It’s a real project with a great payoff.

Print Recipe

New Year’s Black-Eyed Peas and Veggie Sausages

Starting 2021 off right

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Southern, Vegetarian

Keyword: Dry Beans, Stew

Servings: servings

Calories: 351kcal

Ingredients

Beans and Rice

2 cups dry black-eyed peas
1 bay leaf
1 dried chipotle pepper
½ onion diced
28 oz diced tomatoes fire-roasted preferred
2 tsp salt
1.5 cups long-grain brown rice

Sauté

3 tbsp olive oil
½ large onion diced
2 carrots diced
1 green bell pepper stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper stemmed, seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
4 cloves garlic minced or crushed
1 serrano pepper stemmed and diced

Finish

4 links sausage or soyrizo
3 scallions optional, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh parsley minced

Instructions

Beans

Rinse and pick over the black-eyed peas. Add to a large soup pot with 5 cups water and the bay leaf, chipotle and the diced half-onion. Heat to a boil and then cover and turn to low so it just barely simmers. Let cook until the beans are not quite tender – as quick as 30 minutes, or as much as one hour. You want them to be notably under-cooked, but at least half-cooked. They should have a crunch, but not still be dry.

Add Rice

Once the beans have reached the right near-cooked phase, add the tomatoes, 1 tsp salt and black pepper. Raise the heat and add the rice. Bring to a boil and then turn back to low so it barely simmers. Cook for 30-50 minutes until the beans and brown rice are tender and just cooked.

Sauté and Sausages

While the brown rice cooks, prepare the sauté ingredients. Also prepare the sausages by slicing them into 1-inch pieces.
When the rice and beans are nearly done, heat a large skillet over medium and add 2 tbsp olive oil and then the onions. Soften and brown the onions for 5-6 minutes. Then add the carrots and stir for a 2-3 minutes until bright and starting to soften. Then add the bell peppers, celery, garlic and serrano pepper. Sauté and stir for another few minutes until fragerant. Remove to a small bowl and set aside, leaving the oil in the pan.
In the same pan, add another 1 tbsp oil and heat. Then add the sliced sausages and gently fry, turning after a few minutes. Once done, turn off the heat and remove from heat.

Combine and Serve

Once the rice and beans are fully cooked, turn off the heat. Add the sauted vegetables and mix gently but well. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sausages last, or even add them as you serve the dish. Sprinkle the scallions and fresh parsley on top, if desired.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

New Year's Black-Eyed Peas and Veggie Sausages

Amount Per Serving

Calories 351 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Sodium 757mg33%

Potassium 1119mg32%

Carbohydrates 58g19%

Fiber 11g46%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 18g36%

Vitamin A 3625IU73%

Vitamin C 49.5mg60%

Calcium 132.5mg13%

Iron 6.5mg36%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.