Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas (For New Years)

This post is sponsored by Thrive Culinary Algae Oil. Thank you for supporting the growth of Food Heaven.

Raise your hand if you’ve had black-eyed peas for New Years?

This classic dish has long been a New Years Day staple in the African-American community –particularly in the South– as a symbol of good luck. The black-eyed peas are often served with collard greens to ensure an additional dose of financial prosperity (greens = green = money =  OKURRR).

We had this tradition in my house growing up, and my sisters and I have continued it into our adulthood. I wanted to recreate my family recipe so that you can join in on all of the prosperity and good luck this year. But I had to make a few modifications, since the peas are typically cooked with a pork product for flavoring (such as bacon, fatback, ham bones, or hog jowls), and we lean plant-based. Also, since “aint nobody got time” to cook black-eyed peas from scratch, I made an Instant Pot version, which only takes 25 minutes to make!!

We partnered with Thrive Culinary Algae Oil for this recipe; which, in case you were wondering, no, it doesn’t taste like fish oil pills.  I was hesitant to try culinary algae oil at first, too, and was shocked after I discovered that it’s 100% neutral in flavor! This makes it perfect for all kinds of cooking and baking. Turns out there are thousands of types of algae in the world, and the kind used to make Thrive was sourced from the sap of a chestnut tree, not from water.

I love this algae oil because it contains the highest level of healthy monounsaturated fat — about 90% — and the lowest level of saturated fats of all cooking oils. According to the American Heart Association, monounsaturated fats can help reduce LDL cholesterol levels in your blood which can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. If you want to try Thrive, you can find it in grocery stores or online!

Ready to bring in all of the luck this new year? Let’s get started on the recipe!