I almost never eat black-eyed peas (except for good luck on New Year’s day) and now I am wondering why. Because they are SO flipping awesome. Like other beans, there are a great source of protein for a vegan or vegetarian diet. And they have a mild almost sweet flavor.

The inspiration for this recipe came from Chloe’s Kitchen, one of my all time favorite vegan cookbooks. Her recipe is called Southern Skillet Black-Eyed Peas with Quick Buttery Biscuits. It’s a winner of a recipe. I played with it a bit. Changed some of the veggies and spices. Added butternut squash, carrots and turnips. The result is the perfect fall stew with a little twist.

I cooked everything in the biggest skillet I own. After sauteing the vegetables until they softened, I added tomato sauce, water and soy sauce. At this stage, the mixture looks really watery (see above). Don’t worry, it cooks down a lot while you are preparing the biscuits.

Chloe’s recipe isn’t gluten free, but I switched the flour for all purpose gluten-free flour and a little xanthan gum with no trouble at all. The dough is a little sticky at first, but it comes together just fine on a well-floured cutting board. Look at these guys…not bad for no butter, milk or regular flour.

To go with the biscuits, I whisked some Earth Balance margarine with pure maple syrup for Whipped Maple Butter. A little decadent, but oh so yummy.

Black-Eyed Pea Stew 

Serves 4-6

Adapted from Chloe’s Kitchen

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups cauliflower florets, roughly chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 cup turnips, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup (about 2 stalks) celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp ancho chile powder (any chile powder is fine)

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

2 15oz cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 14oz can tomato sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 cup filtered water

1-2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat and saute onions until soft. Add cauliflower, carrots, butternut squash, turnips, celery and garlic. Let cook, stirring frequently until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add cumin, chile powder, paprika, thyme, oregano and salt and let cook a few more minutes.

Add rinsed black-eyed peas, tomato sauce, water, soy sauce, maple syrup and vinegar. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are fork-tender and sauce has thickened. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve in soup bowls with biscuits and maple butter.

GF Vegan Biscuits

Makes 12 small biscuits

Adapted from Chloe’s Kitchen

2 cups gluten free all purpose flour, plus extra to flour board

3/4 tsp xanthan gum

1 Tbsp baking powder

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup vegan margarine, plus extra for brushing tops of biscuits

3/4 cup almond milk

Whisk together flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add margarine and cut roughly using a pastry cutter, until mixture is texture of coarse meal with a few larger margarine clumps. Work quickly so the margarine does not melt. Add almond milk and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Do not overwork.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured cutting board and pat into an oblong shape, about an inch thick. Using a 2 1/2 inch floured cookie or biscuit cutter, cut the biscuits out and place them on a baking sheet. Brush the tops with melted margarine and bake for 12-15 minutes or until they begin to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Whipped Maple Butter

1/2 cup vegan margarine

2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. Refrigerate or serve immediately.