Vegan Jamaican Stew Peas
Traditionally, “stew peas” are cooked with salted beef, oxtail, or pig’s tail, but here I present a vegan version that will please the palate of the most skeptical.
Beans, or peas, are a Jamaican staple because they are so versatile and flavorful; we incorporate beans in many of our Jamaican dishes, like my Jamaican Rice And Peas and Jamaican Gungo Peas Soup.
How to Make Vegan Jamaican Stew Peas?
Jamaican stew peas with dumplings (spinners) contain a Jamaican version of unleavened dumplings, also known as spinners, usually made with white flour, but regular flour will work. Also, try my Instant Pot Version.
I used whole scotch bonnet pepper for more of the authentic flavor and not the spicy heat. Coconut milk is an essential component of this stew and many other Jamaican dishes.
For another simple pea stew, check out my Chickpea Stew recipe. Serve your stew peas with Jasmine Rice.
If you are wanting to cook authentic Jamaican dishes, this dish is so easy to make. I have made this dish several times for my guests, and they tell me how amazing it tastes. Jamaican stew peas, an ultimate comfort dish, is my go-to recipe.
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When growing up in Jamaica, we tend to make our own coconut milk from fresh coconuts rather than the canned version. It was less expensive and resulted in more flavorful milk.
Now that I live in the USA and don’t usually have access to fresh coconut, I use canned coconut milk in my recipes. I usually purchase Thai Kitchen Unsweetened Coconut Milk.
Notes
. Since I made this recipe in 2012, I now only eat gluten-free dumplings. I have updated this recipe to include a recipe for Jamaican gluten-free dumplings.
. Substitute 2 cans of kidney beans for the dried kidney beans and omit the water.
. Use 1–14 ounce of coconut milk if you don’t have fresh coconut milk
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Vegan Jamaican Stew Peas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried kidney beans
- 6 cups water
- 1 (14-ounce) can of coconut milk
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 –2 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 sprig of fresh
- 1 medium carrot cut into coins
- 1 whole Scotch Bonnet pepper stem intact or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or 6 berries
- 1 batch of dumplings/spinners
Dumplings/Spinners
- 1/2 cup flour: I used Krusteaz all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For The Stew Peas
- Sort and wash beans, and soak them in water (about 3 inches above the beans) overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- The following day, discard water and rinse beans, place them in a large saucepan with the 6 cups of water, and bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer until tender for about 1 hour.
- Add coconut milk, carrots, onion, garlic, and continue simmering. Add spinners and thyme and other seasonings, simmer for another 30 minutes or until sauce is thick. Discard pepper before serving. Delicious served with brown rice and a salad!
For The Dumplings
- Place flour and salt in a bowl. Add water and mix to make a stiff dough. Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll into the palms of your hands to make long, thin dumplings. Drop them into the simmering stew.
I’m making this for dinner tonight, cannot wait to try it. I’m going to half the recipe since it’s just me and my husband. Even with that there will probably be leftovers. How do the dumplings hold up in the leftover stew?
Hello Diane, I hope that you and your hubby enjoyed it. The dumplings are firmer that American and British dumplings so they hold up very well.
We love this recipe. I also add some sweet potatoes ( white ones) or some yellow yam. Delicious.
Thank you for sharing your adjustments, with us.
Looking forward to even more exciting vegan versions of Jamaican and Caribbean food.
Thank you Maureen, more recipes coming soon.
This sounds delicious
Was wondering if it could be cooked in slow cooker?
Cook on high for 6-8 hours, or until the kidney beans are soft and cooked through, I hope you enjoy!
Thanks for your recipe on the stew peas. I am from old school Jamaica, watching my mother make stew peas from scratch and I must tell you that the water that you soak the peas in overnight is never discarded. Try it this way. And you will find out it is even much better that way.
Hello Johanna, nice to meet you. I’m also old school Jamaican but now I discard the water. Soaking the beans allows them to cook faster and makes them more digestible by breaking down complex carbs into simpler carbohydrates. The water has sugars from the beans and is beginning to ferment. If you leave them longer than a day, they will fully ferment, which you can see and smell. I threw it out for this reason.
I just tried this recipe. Love it, love it, love it! My hubby and I ate it with brown rice. So flavourful and we did not miss the meat we usually eat in it. Thanks for sharing! 😊👌🏾
Keisha, I’m so happy you and your hubby enjoy it. Thank you for sharing your feedback with us.
Thank you for this recipe.❤
If using canned beans, how much water do you need for step 2, if any?
Jay use, 1/2 cup of water because the coconut milk might be too thick. Cook until you get the desired thickness of the stew peas you like.
Wow! I made this last night for dinner and it was amazing. The flavors were powerful and it was quick to pull together. I was nervous about the dumplings so I didn’t add a lot and was disappointed I didn’t after I tasted the stew. It will be in our rotation of meals. I’m so happy I found you on Pinterest. Can’t wait to try some other meals.
Oh lovely, thank you very much for giving my recipe a try. I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
I love how simple and flavorful this meal was I didn’t even miss the pork neck bone or the beef to much. Love that I could have my family get a taste of home. The only down side was that I used canned beans cause it missed out on the ri h color and rich textured flavor. Overall good and will be adding to my list of meals from back home to make.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Natasha, thank you for sharing your feedback with us. I hope next time you get to try it with dried beans