Black-Eyed Peas with Spinach and Herbs

Here’s an easy and unusual recipe that highlights fresh spinach. If you use baby spinach, you can skip stemming, making the recipe even quicker than it already is. This Persian recipe is a Sabzi—referring to a recipe using greens and herbs, ingredients so typical to this cuisine. Serve with a fresh flatbread and a salad of chickpeas and tomatoes.

Serves: 6

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped leek (white part only), well rinsed
• Two 16-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 2 large or 3 medium tomatoes, diced
• Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 10 to 12 ounces fresh spinach, stemmed and well rinsed (or baby spinach, well rinsed)

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, or more, to taste
• 4 scallions, sliced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Hot cooked rice or other grain, optional

Heat the oil in an extra-large skillet or a steep-sided stir-fry pan. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent.

Add the leek and sauté another 5 minutes or so, until both it and the onion are golden.

Stir in the black-eyed peas, tomatoes, lemon juice, and spices. Cook until everything is hot and the tomatoes have softened, about 5 minutes.

Add half of the spinach, cover and cook until wilted down, then add the rest. Once it’s all wilted down, stir it in along with the parsley, and scallion. Cook for just a minute or two longer, just until then season with salt and pepper.

Serve at once over hot cooked rice or other grain, if desired.

• Here are more easy bean main dishes.
• Here are more of VegKitchen’s Vegan Dinner Recipes and more Main Dishes Featuring Grains and/or Beans.