Easy Southern Black-Eyed Pea Soup Recipe

Many Southern New Year’s Day menus feature this Easy Southern Black-Eyed Pea Soup Recipe as a symbol of good luck and a symbol of prosperity. This tasty vegetable soup is super easy to make, very nutritious, and yes, amazingly delicious!

Table of Contents

You will see southern black-eyed peas listed in a variety of ways. Some featured as hearty black-eyed pea soup and others as just a bowl of black-eyed peas.

With the soup recipe, more liquid and meat are included to produce a hearty soup.

Regardless of how you choose to prepare your black-eyed peas, they are great when served with white rice, cast iron skillet cornbread, collard greens, and chicken or beef dishes.

If you like your soup with a little kick, add a teaspoon of crushed red pepper.

Main Ingredients Needed

ham hock adds savory salty taste to this Easy Southern Black-Eyed Pea Soup Recipe — Ham hock

Black-eyed peas symbolize good fortune and are a traditional meal each New Year's Day in Southern States — Dry Black-Eyed Peas

country style bacon adds a savory depth to this Easy Southern Black-Eyed Pea Soup Recipe — Country Bacon

bowl of this Easy Southern Black-Eyed Pea Soup Recipe

Simple Black-Eyed Pea Soup Recipe

This Black-Eyed Pea Soup recipe is delicious and easy to make. With this easy recipe, you can enjoy dairy-free, gluten-free, and flavor-packed food without worries.

Serving Size:

10 oz

Time:

2 hours

Difficulty:

Easy

Ingredients

1 pound dried black-eyed peas (16-ounce bag of dried peas)
5 slices thick-cut bacon
1 smoked ham hock (2 – 3 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil, extra-virgin
1 cup diced onion
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups diced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1½ cups frozen chopped collard greens defrosted
3 tsp garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth, low-sodium
3 cups water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions

Prior to cooking soup

Sort through the peas, pick out any debris, and rinse. Add dry black-eyed peas to a large pot with 5 cups of cold water. Let it set for 6 – 12 hours.

Preparing soup

After the peas have completed the soaking process, drain in a colander, rinse and place in the fridge.
Cook bacon strips in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy, 7 to 10 minutes.
Remove cooked bacon from the skillet and place it on a paper-lined plate to eliminate excess grease. Once cool, crumble the bacon and set aside.
Using the skillet for cooking the bacon strips and still containing grease, add olive oil to the skillet and return to medium heat.
Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook for 10 minutes or until tender.
Add collard greens and garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
Transfer the cooked vegetables and spices to the large pot with water, chicken broth, ham hock, and crumbled bacon.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook covered for 2 hours.
Remove ham hock from pot and clean by removing skin and bone. Chop up ham meat and return to pot.
Add in drained black-eyed peas, stir, and let set for 15 minutes.
Serve and enjoy.

FAQ

How long to soak black-eyed peas?

You’ll need at least six hours to rehydrate the black-eyed peas. Place them in a large bowl and add three cups of water for every cup of peas. Cover, place in the refrigerator, and let the beans soak for six hours or overnight.

Can you soak them too long?

At 6 hours. For best results, try to limit soak time to less than 12 hours. Beyond 12 hours of soaking, peas will start to get mushy and lose flavor

Can you use canned black-eyed peas for soup?

Yes. Canned Black Eyed Peas are fully cooked and you don’t want to cook them too much longer or they start becoming mashed beans. For this reason, I prefer to use dried black-eyed peas when preparing this recipe with ham hocks because they hold their structure better when you cook them with the other soup ingredients.

How to prepare vegan black-eyed soup?

To cook vegan black-eyed peas, the preparation time is a bit less than the meat versions of this recipe. Simply remove ham hocks and other meat products from recipes.

Do frozen black-eyed peas need to be soaked?

Frozen black-eyed peas are already cooked and can be added directly to your soup with no additional soaking required. Additionally, frozen black-eyed peas keep their shape much better than canned peas.

Can you freeze black-eyed pea soup?

Yes. You can store any leftover soup in the freezer for long-term storage. Simply place it in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze it for up to 3 months. To reheat leftover black-eyed pea soup, just thaw and reheat it for another delicious meal.

How long do cooked black-eyed peas last in the fridge?

4-5 days. Refrigerate the cooked peas within 2 hours of cooking. Use them and use them within 4 or 5 days.