This easy Black Eyed Pea Soup Recipe is a great way to ring in the New Year with tradition and flavor! Loaded with black-eyed peas, packed with greens, vegetables, and ham, it's smokey, flavorful and so delicious!
Love a great pot of beans? You can find step-by-step directions for how to cook dried black beans here.
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Why you'll love this recipe
✔️ this is an easy recipe and is loaded with vegetables.
✔️ hearty, affordable and delicious.
✔️ because eating black-eyed peas on New Year's is supposed to bring you good luck and hey.... I need all the luck I can get! 😉
Ingredients
For the exact measurements, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- black-eyed peas, dried
- smoked turkey or ham
- kale or collard greens
- onion
- carrots
- celery
- mushrooms
- cherry tomatoes
- garlic
- bay leaf
- dried Italian seasoning
- pepper
- red pepper flakes
- chicken broth
- olive oil
Instructions
This is an overview, for detailed instructions just scroll down to the bottom!
- Pick through the beans, check for small rocks, and blemished beans, and remove them. Prepare the beans by following the product directions by either soaking the beans overnight or using quick soak directions.
- After soaking, pour out the water the beans have been soaking in and rinse the beans well.
- In a large stock pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and greens to the pot. Season and sauté' until tender, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the beans back to the pot. Add chicken broth and add water. Cover and increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. After it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook on a slow bubble until the beans are tender
- When the beans are tender, remove turkey leg or ham hock from the stew. When it is cool enough to handle, carefully remove the meat and add it back to the stew.
- Lastly, check the seasonings. You may need a touch of salt. Enjoy!
FAQ's
It's not mandatory, but soaking the beans prior will decrease the cooking time.
It takes 60-90 minutes to fully cook the peas.
Legend has it that black-eyed peas bring good luck when eaten on New Year's Day!
Tips
Any good bean soup made with dried beans takes time to make. Beans have to be picked through, soaked, and cooked. Even with the "quick cooking method" it will still take time, however, this soup is definitely worth it.
This stew is spot on - loaded with greens & black-eyed peas. It's full of veggies too and is so flavorful. It's low calorie too and a surprisingly healthy meal!
This makes a BIG pot of Black-Eyed Pea Stew. The first thing to do when the soup is ready is remove a quart of stew and freeze it. This soup freezes great and for those days you don't want to cook....you are covered, gotta love that!
You know me, I love my soups and stews! If you want to learn how to make the BEST soups and stews, check out Homemade Soup; A Complete Guide!
Pro Tip - To be sure the beans are done, give the stew a good stir. Pick out 5-6 beans and test all of them. Just bite down on the beans. Often times you'll find one is done, but the other may need a few more minutes.
More recipes using black-eyed peas and greens!
Serve with
You'll definitely want to make some easy dinner rolls - or if this is your first time baking, this recipe for easy yeast rolls for beginners is amazing! It makes the softest rolls.
Black Eyed Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz package black-eyed peas dried beans
- 2 cups diced ham or one ham hock or smoked turkey leg
- 6 cups collard greens or kale
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups whole cherry tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3-4 cups water
- salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
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Instructions
- Pick thru the beans, checking for small rocks, blemished beans, etc and remove. Rinse them well. Prepare the beans by following product directions by either soaking the beans overnight or using the quick soak directions.
- After soaking, pour out the water the beans have been soaking in. Rinse the beans well. If you don't rinse them, the beans will have a black/gray foam on them. Remove the beans from the pot and set aside.
- In a large stock pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add the meat - (turkey leg, ham hock or ham) and the vegetables. It's going to look like there are a ton of vegetables, but it cooks down quickly. Season with black & red pepper, bay leaf and the Italian seasoning. Saute' until tender, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the beans back to the pot. Pour in the chicken broth and add enough water to cover the beans. Cover and increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
- After it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook on a slow bubble until the beans are tender - about one hour fifteen minutes.
- Check the beans to see if they are tender after about 60 minutes. it will take 60-90 minutes to cook. Remove the turkey leg or ham hock from the stew. When it is cool enough to handle, carefully remove the meat and add it back to the stew.
- Lastly, check the seasonings. I added about a teaspoon of salt at this point, maybe a touch more than that, but it really didn't need much considering the volume. Add the salt at the end. If you add it before the beans are cooked, they will get tough.
Notes
Nutrition
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Don't worry, we'll never share your email.Recipe backstory
Happy (almost) New Year's to you! I hope your Christmas was magical and you had time to share and make lovely memories with family and friends.
Ours was fantastic - we had a Christmas meal with Dan's Mom, I made a prime rib and baked potatoes. Then we zipped up to Sacramento to spend time with my family. Don and Alice were hosting Christmas and it was full of great food and fellowship.
Actually, we played a super cool game called THAT'S IT where a description is shared and then everyone tries to guess the word. We were all being so silly that my stomach hurt because I laughed so hard! It was a great Christmas!
Do you embrace tradition for New Years? I'd love to hear yours! Often on New Year's Day people eat black-eyed peas to bring them luck & greens to bring them wealth so here's hoping the timing is terrific to share this recipe today!
I wish you the very best that life has to offer! Thank you for your support this year, your comments, ideas and suggestions are so appreciated. Eat, drink and be merry! Happy New Year to you & yours!!! We are welcoming in 2019 and excited because it's going to be a fantastic year!
Darlene Gregory
I doubled recipe and taking some over to daughters house. It is simmering now and smells delicious! Happy new year!!!
Bowl Me Over
You're going to be so happy! I have a pot on the stove as well! Be sure to freeze a quart before you head out to your daughters house. Shhh.... we won't tell and you'll have some yummy soup for next week! 😋
ELISSA Matulis MYERS
Looks delicious...but where do the cherry tomatoes come in?
Bowl Me Over
You'll add all of the vegetables in step three Elissa - enjoy the soup!
Michelle Turner
Making it today. Happy New Year. Keep up the good job and keep us being Bowled Over!!!
Bowl Me Over
You know it lady!! I will do my best. Happy New Year to YOU!!!
Liza
This recipe is wonderful! It's such a great quick dinner idea! Loving it!
Bowl Me Over
So easy and so good, black eyed peas are super yummy!
Wendy
I made this soup for dinner tonight! it is a keeper! and my husband loved it.
Bowl Me Over
Awesome Wendy - thanks for commenting! Love that earthy flavor of black-eyed peas & I'm so happy you enjoyed the stew!!
Elizabeth
Mmmm this sounds like a rather hearty comfort food sort of meal! Just what we need on these cold evenings!
Bowl Me Over
Wonderful - I hope you enjoy it Elizabeth!
Diane
Debra, I think we need to do lunch! At your house! Just let me know when this stew is on and I will find a way! This is how I love to cook and eat! So yummy!!
Bowl Me Over
Anytime Diane - head this way and bring your spoon - soup's on! 😉
justine @ Full Belly SIsters
Perfect for New Year's, yum!
Bowl Me Over
Happy New Year to you Justine!!!
Tara
Gorgeous stew, chocked full of yummy ingredients!
Bowl Me Over
Thanks Tara - it's so hearty and good, I hope you give it a try!
Katerina
What a delicious filling stew! Perfect for warming us up!
Bowl Me Over
Thanks Katerina!
LydiaF
Black eyed peas are one of the best parts of the New Year! Love this recipe and all the flavors. 🙂
Bowl Me Over
Thanks Lydia - sure appreciate you stopping by!
Celia at Chicago Jogger
Yum, this looks so good! I haven't tried this New Year tradition of eating black peas but it's time I did 🙂
Bowl Me Over
Awesome Celia - I hope you give it a try, we really enjoy this stew - good and good for you!