Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Why This Recipe is a Keeper!

Black-Eyed Pea Soup with greens is a hearty, flavorful dish that’s more than just a comforting meal—it’s a bowlful of tradition and nutrition.

In Southern United States tradition, black-eyed peas and greens symbolize good luck and prosperity for the new year. Black-eyed peas symbolize coins, and greens represent money.

However, there’s no reason to wait and only make it once a year! This simple, one-pot meal is perfect for busy weeknights, lazy Sundays, or any time you need healthful comfort–or some good luck. It fits any diet and is easily made vegan or vegetarian.

This Black-Eyed Pea Soup recipe is:

• Easy! After the prep work, this black-eyed pea soup comes together quickly.
• Delicious! A base of aromatics starts the flavor party, and then Cajun seasoning and a kick of spice from crushed red pepper flakes take the flavor up another notch. Creamy black-eyed peas add an earthy element that pairs perfectly with the mildly bitter greens.
• Make ahead! Most soups and stews benefit from an overnight stint in the refrigerator, and this Black-Eyed Pea Soup with greens and ham is no different. The greens will deepen in color, so if you want them fresh and green when serving, get the soup simmering and add them at that point.

How to Make Black-Eyed Pea Soup:

Recipe Ingredients:

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this black-eyed pea soup recipe, along with instructions for preparing the ingredients. The recipe card below has the exact quantities.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

• Ham: I used regular diced ham made from pork in this recipe for Black-Eyed Peas Soup. If you don’t consume pork, use turkey ham. This recipe for black-eyed pea soup is also great with smoked sausage (pork, turkey or beef), chicken sausage, bacon, or plant-based alternatives.
• Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: Fire-roasted tomatoes add another layer of flavor, but regular diced canned tomatoes will also work.
• Chicken Broth: Use broth or stock. Skip the ham and use vegetable broth to make this black-eyed soup vegetarian or vegan.
• Cajun Seasoning: Cajun seasoning typically includes white, black, and cayenne peppers, along with paprika, onion, celery, and garlic. It’s easy to make your own or use a good commercial brand such as The Spice Lab. My blackening seasoning blend is also a great option.
• The Greens: I used turnip greens but any greens such as collard, kale, mustard, Swiss chard, radish or dandelion work well in this black-eyed pea soup recipe.
• Black-Eyed Peas: Often referred to as goat or southern peas, black-eyed peas are technically a type of bean. They belong to the cowpea family, a group of legumes first cultivated in western Africa. A single black spot distinguishes these small, white, kidney-shaped beans. Because of their thin skins, black-eyed peas cook quickly without soaking. They are rich in fiber, iron, potassium, and zinc. Using canned black-eyed peas make preparing this soup super simple. Rinse thoroughly to remove excess sodium and canned taste. Dried black-eyed peas are another option, but I advise cooking them before adding them to the soup rather than in the soup. (Because of that little “black eye,” they could make your soup a funky color.) Presoaked are another option; they’re often available in the produce department around the end of the year.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

• Gather and prep all the ingredients.
• Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-high heat.
• Add the onion, celery, carrot, and red bell pepper.
• Reduce heat to medium and cook the vegetables for 8 to 10 minutes or until softened.

• Add the garlic, Cajun seasoning, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes.
• Cook briefly, approximately 15 seconds, or until garlic is fragrant.

• Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and ham.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the greens and black-eyed peas.
• Continue simmering for another 5 minutes or until the greens are wilted and tender.
• Add salt and black pepper to taste.

• Serve with cornbread if desired.

• That’s it! Delicious, spicy, wholesome that I hope will bring you good luck all year long!

Chef Tips and Tricks:

• Enhance the flavor even more with a ham hock or smoked turkey for a smoky depth.
• If using canned black-eyed peas, always rinse them thoroughly to remove excess sodium and that “canned” taste.
• Besides using plant-based “meats” to make this soup vegan or vegetarian, mushrooms are another great option.

Storage:

• Refrigerate any leftovers and enjoy within five days.
• It can be frozen in the desired quantities in an airtight container(s) for up to three months. Thaw in the microwave or refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. If you can get it out of the container while still frozen, place the frozen soup directly into a saucepan and turn the heat on low to thaw it out.

Serve with:

• Cornbread
• Creamy Potato Cucumber Salad
• French Potato Salad
• Shrimp and Grits Casserole

More great hearty and healthy soup recipes you’ll love!

• Vegetable Bean Soup
• Vegetable Barley Soup
• Kale Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup with Bacon
• Smoky Spanish Vegetable and White Bean Soup with Kale

Get all my soup recipes at Soup and Stew Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen.