This Blackeye Pea Soup is a hearty and flavorful dish perfect for chilly nights or when you need comfort food. Made with black-eyed peas, vegetables, and savory seasonings, this soup is sure to warm you up from the inside out.
Blackeye Peas are a southern tradition for New Year's Day. This New Year's tradition is said to bring you good fortune and prosperity. But this bowl of soup can be served any time of year.
Are you looking for another hearty soup recipe to try this winter? Give this Hearty 15 Bean Soup recipe a try next time. You won't regret adding it to your meal plan.
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🗝️ Recipe's key points
- It's an easy recipe that is budget-friendly and makes for a hearty meal.
- The black-eyed peas provide a good source of protein, fiber, and other important nutrients.
- The seasonings give this dish a savory and comforting taste.
No matter if you decide to make this comforting soup for the holiday or a cold snowy day, your family will love this classic soup recipe.
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- canned blackeye peas
- bacon
- smoked ham
- large onion
- bell pepper
- celery
- large carrot
- garlic
- collard greens
- paprika
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- dried thyme
- dried oregano
- red pepper flakes
- chicken broth
- bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- apple cider vinegar
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until slightly crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Add smoked ham, onion, peppers, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring, until garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add the collard greens and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the spices and stir.
- Then pour in the chicken broth.
- Next, add the bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the drained and rinsed blackeye peas to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Skim any fat from the surface. Stir in apple cider vinegar and adjust for salt and pepper.
- Serve in bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley and red pepper flakes.
🥫 Storage
Storage: Store leftover smoky blackeye pea soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing: This soup also freezes well. Let it cool completely before storing it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave when ready to enjoy.
Reheating: To reheat, simply heat on the stovetop over medium heat until warm. If reheating from frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
📚 Variations
- Don't have canned blackeye peas? You can use dried peas, but you must soak them overnight and cook them in the chicken broth until they are almost tender before adding the remaining ingredients. This may take 2-3 hours.
- For more depth of flavor swap out the chicken broth for homemade chicken stock.
- Want to add some extra spice to your soup? Try adding in a diced jalapeno, green chiles, chili powder, or even a dash or two of hot sauce.
- Want more smoky flavor in your soup? Use Smoked paprika instead of the regular.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Feel free to use any type of bell peppers that you have on hand or that your family enjoys. I love to use a green pepper but any color will do.
- This recipe is a great way to use up leftover ham from the holidays. Just cube it up. Or, if you don't have leftover ham pick up a ham steak or diced ham from your local grocery store.
- Adjust the salt and black pepper to suit your taste buds. I like to start with light seasoning because you can always add more but you can't take it away.
- This soup tastes even better the next day which means that it's great for leftovers or meal prep.
🤔 FAQs
Yes, black-eyed peas are healthy. They are full of nutrition per Food and Nutrition so you can feel good about eating them.
You don't have to soak them, but if you skip this step, they will take longer to cook. Dried peas that aren't soaked usually have a tougher texture.
Black-eyed peas are high in potassium, which can lead to lower blood pressure levels. According to Dr. Axe, beans are a heart-healthy food.
The boiling time will depend on whether your peas were soaked or not. Canned peas need just 20 minutes but dried will need hours.
If your peas are tough that most likely means they were not soaked long enough, or they need to cook a little longer. Add 20-30 minutes to the cooking time and try them again.
📗 Related Recipes
- This Tuscan White Bean Soup is loaded with soft white beans, tender vegetables, and flavorful seasonings. It's a great way to warm up on a cold day.
- Ground Beef and Vegetable Soup is one of my easy soup recipes to make when I'm craving comfort food.
- Looking for more comfy, cozy soup recipes? Give this Creamy White Lasagna Soup , Chicken Lentil Soup, or Savory Chicken Wild Rice Soup With Mushrooms recipe a try.
- The next time you need some winter meal inspiration check out all my favorite soup recipes for some new ideas for your meal rotation.
- If you're looking for a salad full of flavor, whip up our Marinated Black-Eyed Pea Salad recipe. It'll make your taste buds do the cha-cha.
🍽 What to serve with this black eyed pea soup recipe
This delicious soup pairs so well with your favorite homemade bread recipe. Try this Garlic Cheesy Bread recipe or this Dutch Oven No Knead Bread if you prefer crusty bread. And you can never go wrong with a southern soup and cornbread muffins.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Large Dutch oven or soup pot
- Sharp knife
- Cutting Board
- Dry measuring spoons
- Dry measuring cups
- Liquid measuring cup
- Soup Ladle
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
Instead of making Hoppin' John this year, try making this Blackeye Pea Soup instead. It's a great way to get your good luck this year, without a lot of work. I hope you all have a Happy New Year!
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📖 Recipe
Quick and Easy Blackeye Pea Soup
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 28 oz black eye peas 2 (14 0z. cans) drained and rinsed
- ½ pound bacon 226g (7-8 slices) chopped
- ½ pound pre-cooked smoked ham 226 g.
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 large bell pepper chopped -- use either a jalapeno or serrano, for a spicier version along with the green bell pepper
- 2 stalks of celery chopped
- 1 large carrot diced
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 cups collard greens chopped
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional if you like it spicy
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar optional
- For Serving. Fresh chopped parsley red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until slightly crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Add smoked ham, onion, peppers, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring, until garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add the collard greens and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the spices and stir, then pour in the chicken broth, along with the bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the drained and rinsed black-eyed peas to the pot.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Skim any fat from the surface.
- Stir in apple cider vinegar and adjust for salt and pepper.
- Serve in bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley and red pepper flakes.
Notes
- Feel free to use any type of bell peppers that you have on hand or that your family enjoys. I love to use a green pepper, but any color will do.
- This recipe is a great way to use leftover holiday ham. Just cube it up. Or, if you don't have leftover ham, pick up a ham steak or diced ham from your local grocery store.
- Adjust the salt and black pepper to suit your taste buds. I like to start with light seasoning because you can always add more but can't take it away.
- This soup tastes even better the next day, so it's great for leftovers or meal prep.
Nutrition
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