So, the year has already started off a little rough for me, but at least the food is good. This Black-Eyed Peas & Cornbread Dumplings is as comfort food as it gets, and is truly one of the most tasty and delicious ways that I’ve ever gotten to eat black-eyed peas.

I used fresh black-eyed peas here because they cook fast and are perfect for this seasonal dish. That being said, canned ones or home-cooked would work too. I also used a vegetarian sausage because I have one in my house that doesn’t like traditional sausage for reasons. But any kind of sausage, pork, beef, or vegetarian will be just as good here!

The vegetarian sausage and unsweetened almond milk are just two of the small swaps here that make this comfort food as guilt free as possible. The goal here was to make a delicious dish for New Years day that not only tasted great, but also was better-for-you.

The dumplings cook up right in the pot of beans and give that rustic homemade meal just a little more sustenance. All in all, I’ll be making this again soon. And not just as a New Years friendly dish.

Step-by-Step Photos:

Nutritional Claims: Sugar Conscious • Egg Free • Peanut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free • No Sugar Added • Sulphite Free