Black-Eyed Peas
on Nov 16, 2023, Updated Mar 20, 2024
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Tender beans, crispy bacon, and soft veggies make this Black-Eyed Pea Soup a real winner! The low cost ingredients are easy to find and the recipe couldn’t be easier to throw together.
This savory, hearty soup is full of warmth and flavor. The sweet, nutty flavor of the beans pairs perfectly with the smokiness of the bacon and savoriness of the spice mix.
We love how filling this soup is. As a result, it is great served as both an entree and a side dish. Either way this simple black-eyed pea recipe is sure to be a hit!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is praised for its filling nature, making it a satisfying meal option.
- It can be enjoyed as both an entree and a side dish, offering flexibility in meal planning.
- Budget-friendly ingredients.
Recipe Ingredients
- Black-Eyed Peas—Dried black-eyed peas can be found near the beans and rice at your local grocery store.
- Celery—Thinly sliced.
- White Onion—Can be substituted with yellow onion for a little more sweetness.
- Butter—To help cook the veggies.
- Seasoning Mix—A flavorful mix of garlic powder and cajun/ chicken seasoning.
- Bacon—We used precooked bacon, but you can also cook fresh bacon to your desired level of crispiness.
- Chicken Broth—Serves as a base for the soup, enriching the flavor of the other ingredients.
- Water—To thin out the soup.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Black-Eyed Peas
Step #1. Begin softening your beans by allowing them to sit in a bowl of cold water.
Step #2. Melt your butter in a large pot. Add the celery, white onion, and seasoning mix to the pot. Allow the veggies to cook over medium heat until soft and tender.
Step #3. Drain the cold water from the black-eyed peas. Add the beans, bacon, chicken broth, and water to the pot.
Step #4. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Allow the soup to simmer uncovered until the beans are soft.
Recipe FAQs
We recommend soaking your beans to help make them as soft as possible, but it is not necessary if you are short on time. If you are not soaking your beans then you will want to add a little bit of cooking time to your soup to ensure you aren’t left with any crunchy beans.
Of course! You can saute your veggies in a small pan with the melted butter and then toss all of the ingredients into a slow cooker. Cook your black-eyed peas on high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 8 hours.
Black-eyed peas themselves are not peas at all. Rather, they are a type of bean. These beans are traditionally used in southern style soups. The beans have a sweet, nutty flavor that pairs well with savory and spicy flavors like bacon, jalapeno peppers, ground sausage, etc.
Expert Tips
- While it is not necessary to soak your beans, it will help soften them a little bit so they cook faster and become more tender. If you are short on time then you can skip the hour long soaking process and increase your cooking time by 30 minutes.
- Other veggies you can add to this dish include fresh spinach, kale, broccoli, and carrots.
- For some extra protein, try adding some diced andouille sausage to the dish. Simply throw the sausage in at the same time as the veggies.
- You can use either salted or unsalted butter in this dish.
- You can replace the chicken/ cajun seasoning with 3 teaspoons of chicken bouillon powder. The purpose of the seasoning is to amplify the flavor of the chicken broth.
- We typically use precooked bacon in this recipe, but you can use uncooked bacon as well. You will want to cook the bacon in the pot before adding anything else. Because the bacon will render so much fat you can omit the butter.
Serving Ideas
We love serving this soup as both an entree and a side dish depending on how we feel. No matter how you serve this dish, it is sure to be a big hit and keep the whole family coming back for seconds. The rich, savory flavors of the soup make it easy to pair with a variety of dishes including:
- Cornbread
- Salad
- Steamed or air fried veggies
- Baked mac and cheese
How to Store and Reheat Your Leftovers
You can store your leftover black-eyed peas in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Reheat a single serving of soup in a bowl covered with a paper towel for about one minute, stirring it halfway through. Continue reheating the soup on 20 second intervals as needed until the soup is warm all the way through. Soup is best when reheated to at least 120°F.
How to Freeze Your Black-Eyed Peas
If you are looking to serve your soup for a longer period of time then you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Simply let your soup cool on the counter for at least 45 minutes before transferring it to a large ziploc bag or rubbermaid container. The day before you want to serve your soup, transfer it to the fridge to thaw overnight and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium-high heat until the soup begins to bubble.
More Soup Recipes To Consider
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Chicken Wild Rice Soup
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Black-Eyed Peas
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
- 1 cup diced celery, about 2 large stalks
- 1 cup diced white onion, about ½ large white onion
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 teaspoons chicken or Cajun seasoning
- 8 slices bacon, crumbled
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Dump your beans into a large bowl and fill the bowl up with cold water. Allow the beans to sit in the water for an hour.
- After the beans are finished soaking, melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once the butter is completely melted, add the onion, celery, and spices. Cook the veggies over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions begin to brown.
- Drain the beans and add them to the pot along with the crumbled bacon, chicken broth, and water. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Allow the soup to simmer for 25 minutes without a lid on or until the black eyed peas are tender.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- While soaking your beans is not necessary, it will help soften them a little bit so they cook faster and are more tender. If you are short on time then you can skip the soaking process and increase your simmering time to 30-35 minutes.
- Other veggies you can add to this dish include fresh spinach, kale, broccolini, and carrots.
- For some extra protein, try adding some diced andouille sausage to the dish.
- Simply throw the sausage in at the same time as the veggies.
- You can use either salted or unsalted butter in this dish.
- Store your leftover black-eyed peas in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat any leftovers by transferring a single serving to a microwave safe bowl. Cover the bowl with a paper towel and cook for about 1 – 1 ½ minutes, or until the soup is sufficiently warm. Ideally you want your leftovers to be about 120°F.
- You can replace the chicken/Cajun seasoning with 3 teaspoons of chicken bouillon powder. The purpose of the seasoning is to amplify the flavor of the chicken broth.
- We typically use precooked bacon in this recipe, but you can use uncooked bacon as well. You will want to cook the bacon in the pot before adding anything else. Because the bacon will render so much fat you can omit the butter.
