Black-Eyed Pea Skillet Dinner (Printer View)

A hearty vegetarian skillet with black-eyed peas, potatoes, and spinach for an easy one-pan dinner.

# What you'll need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
03 - 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, diced (approximately 1 pound)
04 - 3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped

→ Legumes

05 - 2 cups cooked black-eyed peas or 1 can (15 ounces), drained and rinsed

→ Seasonings

06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
09 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Liquids

11 - 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

→ Garnishes

12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional
13 - Lemon wedges, optional

# Method:

01 - Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
02 - Add the sliced onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and translucent.
03 - Stir in the diced potatoes. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are golden and just tender.
04 - Add the garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Pour in the vegetable broth and add the black-eyed peas. Stir well to combine. Cover the skillet and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until potatoes are fully cooked and liquid is mostly absorbed.
06 - Uncover the skillet, add the chopped spinach, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until spinach is wilted.
07 - Season with salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve hot with lemon wedges, if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • One skillet means one cleanup, and honestly, that alone makes weeknight cooking feel manageable.
  • It's naturally vegetarian without tasting like you're missing anything, and the smoked paprika gives it real depth.
  • You can have it on the table in 45 minutes, which somehow feels like magic when you're feeding hungry people.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of sautéing the potatoes first; cooking them in the oil for those initial minutes is what gives them their golden edges and prevents them from staying hard in the center.
  • If your cast iron isn't well seasoned, use a regular skillet instead—the whole point is enjoying your food, not wrestling with sticky cookware.
03 -
  • If you're cooking dried black-eyed peas from scratch, soak them overnight and cook them until they're just tender but not falling apart, which gives you better control over the final texture.
  • Keep your lemon wedges handy at the table because even people who don't think they like lemon will squeeze some over their bowl once they taste how it lifts everything.
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