A simple veggie stew recipe from the blue zones region of Ikaria that is so good it will become a staple in your diet, especially for anyone following a whole food, plant based diet with no oil.

Since I began eating a whole food, plant based diet, I have tried and made many new recipes. Many I didn’t like and never made again.

longevity stew in a bowl with a cloth napkin and spoon on the side

The plant based recipes I do like get a place in my recipe box that I keep handy on a shelf on my kitchen island.

If a recipe becomes a favorite, I share it with you here on my blog. This stew recipe is one of those… it actually has become one of my top 5 favorite meals.

I like that the recipe is easy to make, has simple ingredients, makes big batch so you have leftovers that can be eaten simply as a stew. It also can be blended into a soup or poured over a plate of pasta or rice.

Funny thing – I wasn’t even going to try this Ikarian stew. It looked too simple and I never had a black-eyed peas before. But I like to try new things, so I decided to try it. I am so happy I did.

If you make this stew, it tastes even better the next day and will last a few days in the fridge. I think what makes the flavor so good is the fennel, dill and bay leaves.

I enjoy it plain or over whole wheat pasta.

If you prefer a smoother texture – simply use an immersion blender and whip it into a longevity soup. Same delicious taste, just a different texture.

When thinking about trying a new recipe that you are on the fence about, I say just try it as you never know… it may become your favorite.

Print Recipe

Ikarian Longevity Stew No Oil Recipe

This is a WFPB-no oil version of the famous Blue Zone Longevity Stew. It is delicious eaten alone, over pasta or rice. Paired with a salad creates a healthy no oil vegan meal that will become a staple in your recipe box.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Soup

Keyword: homemade vegan tomato soup, no oil, plant based, soup

Servings:

Calories: 46kcal

Cost: $6

Equipment

1 stew or soup pot
1 knife and cutting board

Ingredients

5 tbsp Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
1 large Red Onion finely chopped
4 cloves Garlic finely chopped
1 large bulb Fennel finely chopped
1 15 oz. can Black-Eyed Peas drained and rinsed
1 large Tomato chopped
2 tsp Tomato Paste diluted in 1/4 cup water
2 Bay Leaves
1/4 cup Dill fresh and finely chopped
Water
Salt to taste *see notes below

Instructions

Add a few tablespoons of low sodium vegetable broth to pot. Add the chopped onion, garlic and fennel bulb. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft – about 12 minutes. Stir in the black-eyed peas. If at any point during cooking – bottom of pot is getting dry, add more veggie broth – a tablespoon at a time.
Add the tomato, tomato paste and enough water to cover the beans by about an inch. Add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil , then cover pot and reduce heat and let simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour depending on how firm you like the veggies and beans.
Add the chopped fresh dill and season with salt or no salt seasoning.
Cook a few minutes more and then remove the bay leaves and serve.

Notes

If trying to limit salt in your diet: I highly recommend Benson’s Table Tasty. It is the best tasting salt substitute I have found. It has no salt, MSG, preservatives, or potassium chloride.

Leftovers: Store leftover stew in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze in portions using a Souper Cube.

Nutrition

What You’ll Need

Best Tasting Salt Substitute

Freeze Portion Sizes of Soup

Soup Pot

Wooden Spoon/ Corner Scraper

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7 Comments

Thanks for this recipe, it happens to be very timely. Like Caye, I occasionally make vegee broth and just did so a few days ago. I need to buy some black eyed peas ( may use the dried version) and will get some fresh fennel and dill. Haven’t had black eyed peas in years, and I may also do a batch with dried yellow split peas since I have some on hand.
It’s so nice to get some fresh ideas for food to cook, and the photos are also inspiring:)

Short email due to arm. Thanks for a new recipe. Gives me something to look forward to. Sitting around do much has me concerned as to how much I’m eating.

This looks delicious, Diane. I’ve never used fennel, so need to try this recipe. I like it because it doesn’t use a lot of ingredients I don’t already have on hand. Thanks for sharing. Hope your Zoe is doing well.

This sounds delicious! I’ve never used fennel bulbs before, but I know where to find them. Definitely going to give this a try! Thanks for the easy directions and beautiful picture. Have a great weekend!

Diane Henkler says:

03/04/2022 at 12:17 pm

Hi Deanna – I have used fennel in a few recipes and I like it, It really is what makes this stew have such a subtle and nice flavor, even with no salt. :-). Enjoy your weekend.

Reply

The stew sounds yummy, Diane! I LOVE black-eyed peas because they are so easy to digest. I’d make this using the vegetable stock I made from the scraps of veggies that would be discarded–i.e. celery, zucchini, and carrot ends, broccoli, cauliflower stems, onion skins (for flavor and color). I make sure that the ends have been trimmed, and everything has been thoroughly scrubbed. It’s delicious and such a thrifty bargain too! (BTW, I save all the pieces in a freezer bag and when I have nearly a gallon bag full, I get busy making stock.)

Diane Henkler says:

03/04/2022 at 12:35 pm

Hi Caye – Saving the veggie scraps, making broth and freezing is such a good idea. I have only done it once and still have some broth in my freezer. Now that my travels to LA won’t be as frequent, I can get back into doing this. Thanks for the reminder. :-) Oh and I didn’t know about black-eyed peas being easy to digest. Good to know – thanks.

Reply

Longevity Stew No Oil Recipe