Black Eyed Pea Pumpkin Chard Chili. Black eyed peas, pumpkin puree, herbs and spices make this a warming fall chili. Vegan Gluten-free Soy-free Recipe

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 120 minutes
  • Cook time: 60 minutes
  • Total time: 180 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: chili
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil
  • 1 Jalapeno or Serrano pepper (use less or more to taste)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped leek (optional)
  • 4-5 cloves of garlic chopped
  • 2 large Chard leaves chopped (or other greens of choice)
  • 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • Dried or fresh herbs (I used 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme)
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder (optional)
  • 1 cup Pumpkin puree or use chopped pumpkin
  • 1 cup soaked Black eyed peas (about 1/2 cup dry, rinse and soak 2 hours (or 1 cup canned) or other beans of choice)
  • 2 -2.5 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Variations: Add veggies like celery (corn, bell peppers. Add other beans like kidney, garbanzo, black and more.)

Method

  1. In a deep saucepan, add oil and heat over medium heat.
  2. Add bay leaves, peppers, onion and leek and saute until translucent. For Oil free version saute in vegetable broth.
  3. Add garlic, chard leaves, and cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Add in the spices, herbs and tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes until tomatoes are a bit mushy.
  5. Add in the pumpkin puree, black eyed peas, water and salt and mix.
  6. Cover partially and cook on low heat for 1-1.5 hours. Stir a few times in between.
  7. Taste and adjust salt and spice. add lemon juice for tang if needed.
  8. Cook without cover for a few minutes if too runny, till desired consistency is achieved.
  9. Serve hot topped with vegan butter/cream, chopped cilantro with Crackers, bread or garlic rolls.
  10. Alternatively, add the cooked onion tomato mixture and the rest of the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook according to instructions. 4-5 hours.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.