Vegan Black Eyed Peas With Greens (Lebanese)

A traditional home-cooked Lebanese food of vegan black eyed peas with greens known as “selek bi loubieh”. The black eyed peas are simmered in garlic, cilantro and onions with chopped greens and finished with a squeeze of lemon for a flavorsome comforting meal.

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Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• What is Selek Bi Loubieh
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Make Vegan Black Eyed Peas With Greens 
• Pro Tips
• More Vegan Greens Recipes
• Vegan Black Eyed Beans With Greens (Lebanese)

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• You can use various types of greens. This recipe works with spinach, swiss chard, red vein sorrel (or just sorrel), mustard greens, collard greens or similar.
• Black eyed peas are a great source of plant protein and do not require a long time to cook.
• Enjoy this dish with some bread, rice (try it with brown rice), grits, polenta or similar or as part of a mezze (I love mine rolled up in Lebanese pita bread).
• Can be eaten cold or warm.
• This comforting dish is a good example of simple ingredients being delicious 
• No need for a pressure cooker, or slow cooker, just one big pot or dutch oven needed.
• Aside from this meal being naturally vegan, it is also gluten free.

What is Selek Bi Loubieh

Selek bi loubieh is the Arabic name given to this dish of silverbeet with beans.

“Selek” is the Arabic word for “Swiss chard”, aka “silverbeet”, and “bi loubieh” are the Arabic words for “with beans”.

Both beans (fresh and dry) and various greens are staples within the Lebanese diet, and there are many recipes that feature both. 

Selek bi loubieh is a traditional recipe from Lebanon and is a naturally vegan black-eyed peas with greens recipe, that is also suitable for folks who are gluten-free.

True healthy soul food. 

This dish is similar to American southern black eyed peas, which are typically paired with warm cornbread.

Ingredients You'll Need

Notes on some of the ingredients, the full list of ingredients and their measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

• Swiss chard (silverbeet) needs to be roughly chopped small, the stalks can be used in this recipe, I prefer to cut these off and reserve these for other recipes. You can also use spinach or sorrel (even red veined sorrel - though it will turn this meal purple still equally delish - you can watch me make this via this video) with this dish.
• Dried Black eyed peas, also known as black eyed beans, will be soaked overnight in cold water to rehydrate them prior to cooking (canned black-eyed peas can be used, but these do not need to be soaked overnight). In general, I prefer dry beans as they are cost-effective and can last for a long time in the pantry.
• Fresh onion, garlic cloves, cilantro (coriander leaves). Are the holy grail trio of Lebanese cooking. The onion will be finely diced and the garlic needs to be crushed. The cilantro will need to be roughly finely chopped.
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice is used to finish this dish giving it a lovely sour flavor.
• Extra virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper.

How to Make Vegan Black Eyed Peas With Greens 

Sweat the finely diced onions, crushed garlic and finely chopped cilantro. In a large pot over high heat, add the onion first and sweat until slightly golden and translucent, then add cilantro and garlic to the onion and fry until wilted.

Add black eyed beans, salt, black pepper and cups of water to the mixture and thoroughly coat in the onion, garlic and cilantro.

Bring it to a gentle boil and then simmer for 10-15 minutes with the lid closed on low - medium heat.

Add the chopped greens to the bean mixture and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until the greens are completely wilted and cooked through. Stir occasionally. You will notice the cooking liquid has dramatically been reduced.

Turn off heat and serve this hearty dish on a serving plate and drizzle some lemon juice on top. Serve with additional lemon wedges on the side to use as needed.

Use pita bread or similar to mop up the bean broth as you eat.

More Vegan Greens Recipes

Another 'greens' recipe to try is this Hindbeh Bi Zeit (Dandelion Greens Recipe).

And one more 'greens' recipe worth mentioning is my Lebanese Spinach Stew (Sabanekh wa Riz).

If you have some silverbeet left over, you might also be interested in these gluten free vegan Swiss chard recipes.

The most requested rice by my family - Lebanese Rice Vegan packed with veggies and topped with browned nuts.

For a quick sweet treat to finish off this meal, here's my Haytaliyeh, Vegan Lebanese Milk Pudding.