What do you get when you combine flavorful blackened tofu, creamy black-eyed peas, and green beans in a flavorful tomato broth? You get these amazing Blacked Tofu Black-Eyed Pea Vegan Bowls, loaded with plant-based protein and lots of flavor.
These tofu and black-eyed pea bowls are gluten-free, VERY quick and easy to make, and versatile, too: they can be served over rice, spooning the flavorful broth over the rice, or on their own, adding a little more broth to make a delicious protein-loaded vegan soup made with whole ingredients.
Enjoy!
This black-eyed pea dish doesn't have a real name, per se. It's not like this is a cassoulet or a traditional black-eyed pea soup or stew of any kind. It's just something I made up while trying to combine a few ingredients I had in the kitchen.
I was so excited with how delicious it turned out and how healthy it was that I immediately wrote down the recipe and made it again just 2 days later, taking the time to take pictures for the blog. Since then I've made variations of this dish using different beans, using frozen veggies for convenience, and adding blackened "chik'n." It turns out awesome and flavorful every time.
I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!
Related recipe: Vegan Taco Soup
Protein-rich vegan bowls
This dish contains 2 great sources of vegan protein: black-eyed peas and tofu.
A pound of tofu contains about 37 grams of protein!
A half a cup of cooked black-eyed peas has 7 grams of plant-powered protein and 6 grams of fiber. Theses little peas (or beans? they definitely taste more like beans to me) are such a great ingredient to use, I recommend making these more often than just on New Years!
Related recipe: Vegan Black Bean Soup
Related recipe: Vegan Black Bean Burrito Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 lb extra firm tofu, pressed to remove as much liquid as possible
- 2 teaspoons vegan blackened seasoning or Cajun seasoning (or to taste, it can be SPICY depending on the brand)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1-1.5 cup diced carrots (from about 2 medium carrots, diced to ⅓-inch pieces)
- 12 oz green beans (about 3 cups), trimmed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes with the juices (I love fire-roasted diced tomatoes)
- 1-2 teaspoons no-chicken base from Better than Bouillon (or vegan chicken or veggie broth powder or cube), to taste
- 1 14-oz can black-eyed peas, drained (1 + ¾ cups cooked black-eyed peas)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, finely diced (or your favorite fresh herbs, scallions, chives, or cilantro would work great)
You'll also need:
- A casserole pan/braiser where you can brown the tofu, OR a large skillet + a heavy-bottom soup pot. Basically, you'll need to brown the tofu and then sauté the onions and make the rest of the dish. If you have a pan that can do both (such as this) - AWESOME - you'll have less dishes! I browned the tofu in a separate skillet.
Related recipe: Vegan Slow Cooker Pinto Beans
Ingredient tips:
→ Spice level / blackened seasoning: If you're not sure how much spice you want, lightly season the tofu with blackened seasoning. You can always add more directly to the broth, but you can't undo the spice. Check if your seasoning contains salt, if it does then I recommend going lighter on the vegan broth.
→ Save time and use frozen veggies: If you want to save some time, use 3 cups of frozen veggies (a mix of carrot, peas, green beans) in place of the fresh carrots and green beans. I recommend a shorter simmering time if using frozen veggies because they soften faster.
→ Vegan broth bouillon: I LOVE LOVE LOVE Better than Bouillon no-chicken base. The instructions on the jar say to mix it with water to make broth, but for this recipe I simply add some of the paste to the diced tomato broth to season it. Another option is McKays Chicken Style Instant Broth. If you want to make this dish more of a soup, you can add some water to make a broth.
Related recipe: Vegan Broccoli Tofu Stir Fry
Instructions
Step 1: Cut your pressed tofu into 1-inch cubes. In a bowl, combine the tofu cubes with the blackening seasoning and stir gently to coat the tofu in the seasoning.
Step 2: Preheat a large skillet or casserole pan (or use a large skillet). Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil (reserve the rest for later), swirl it around the pan, and carefully add the seasoned tofu. Cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, then use tongs to gently turn the tofu pieces over and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Flip the tofu again and let another side brown. You don't need to brown every side, but try to get at least 3 sides nicely browned.
Remove the tofu to a plate or a heat-safe bowl and set aside.
Step 3: If using the casserole pan, lower the heat to medium-low (or get a heavy-bottom soup pot and heat over medium-low heat). Add the rest of the olive oil and the chopped onion and carrots. Sauté for 5-8 minutes.
Step 4: Add the green beans, diced tomatoes, and no-chicken broth. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and allow to simmer, stirring frequently, until the green beans and carrots are cooked to your liking (about 5-10 minutes if you like them crunchy!). Here you have an option to add more water/broth if you want more of a soupy consistency.
Step 5: Add the black-eyed peas, blackened tofu, and fresh parsley. Remove from heat and stir gently to combine. Serve hot on its own, or over rice.
If you’ve tried this black eyed pea recipe or any other recipe on my blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I LOVE hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food!!!
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Blackened Tofu Black Eyed Pea Bowls (Vegan Protein Bowls)
Ingredients
- 1 lb extra firm tofu, pressed to remove as much liquid as possible
- 2 teaspoons blackened seasoning , or Cajun seasoning (see notes for spice level)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1.5 cups diced carrots, from about 2 medium carrots, diced to ⅓-inch pieces
- 12 oz green beans, (about 3 cups) trimmed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 14 oz canned diced tomatoes, with the liquid
- 1 cup no-chicken base from Better than Bouillon, or broth seasoning or bouillon cube
- 14 oz can black-eyed peas, drained (1 + ¾ cups cooked black-eyed peas)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, finely diced (or your favorite fresh herbs, scallions, chives, or cilantro would work great)
Special equipment
- A casserole pan/braiser pan, OR a large skillet + a heavy-bottom soup pot
Instructions
- Cut your pressed tofu into 1-inch cubes. In a bowl, combine the tofu cubes with the blackening seasoning and stir gently to coat the tofu in the seasoning.
- Preheat a large skillet or casserole pan (or use a large skillet). Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil (reserve the rest for later), swirl it around the pan, and carefully add the seasoned tofu. Cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side. You don't need to brown every side, but try to get at least 3 sides nicely browned.Remove the tofu to a plate or a heat-safe bowl and set aside.
- If using the casserole pan, lower the heat to medium-low (or get a heavy-bottom soup pot and heat over medium-low heat). Add the rest of the olive oil and the chopped onion and carrots. Sauté for 5-8 minutes.
- Add the green beans, diced tomatoes, and no-chicken broth. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and allow to simmer, stirring frequently, until the green beans and carrots are cooked to your liking (about 5-10 minutes if you like them crunchy!). Here you have an option to add more water/broth if you want more of a soupy consistency.
- Add the black-eyed peas, blackened tofu, and fresh parsley. Remove from heat and stir gently to combine. Serve hot on its own, or over rice.
Questions? Feedback? I love to hear from you!