Black-Eyed Pea Soup – Southern Style

Black-Eyed Pea Soup, full of carrots, celery, onions, and collard greens, is the epitome of a lucky New Year’s Day dish. With black-eyed peas for luck and greens, which symbolize money, you can’t go wrong with this nutritious and delicious soup to welcome in the new year. 

There aren’t many meals that are as full of all things good for you and as tasty as this one, and with luck thrown in, well, you have hit the jackpot of comfort foods.

Here is what’s in it:

You will need dried black-eyed peas, cooked ham, ham hock or ham shank, olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, chicken stock, red wine vinegar, crushed red pepper, collard greens, a can of Rotel, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. 

Here’s how to make it:

1. Soak the peas overnight in a large bowl filled with water. Make sure to keep the water level at least two inches over the peas while they rehydrate. After they rehydrate, drain and rinse the peas.
2. Add olive oil to a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, celery, ham, ham hock, or ham shank. Cook until the vegetables have softened, which should take four to five minutes. Then, add the garlic and cook for one minute.
3. Add the drained peas, red wine vinegar, chicken stock, tomatoes and green chilies, kosher salt, and pepper and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
4. Add the collard greens and cook uncovered for an additional 15-30 minutes, or until the peas are tender. 
5. Serve immediately.

What to serve with it?

Serve the soup with cornbread or hoecakes. With the peas and greens, it is a complete nutritious meal all by itself. 

Sharon’s tips:

• You can use a slow cooker or crockpot if you like to make this dish. Cook the onion, ham, garlic, carrots, and celery as directed. Put this and the rest of the ingredients in a slow cooker or crockpot and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours. Do not add the collard green until the last hour of cooking. 
• You can substitute fresh kale for the collard greens. 
• Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to four days. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for several months. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a saucepan on the stove. 
• This soup can be made up to 48 hours ahead. Store in the refrigerator and heat in a saucepan on the stove. It will thicken after being refrigerated, and you may need to add additional chicken stock. 
• You can substitute a ham bone or smoked turkey for the ham products. 

Related recipes:

Black-eyed peas are loaded with protein and fiber. If you like these delicious and nutritious legumes, you might also like these recipes:

• Lucky Black-Eyed Peas
• Black-Eyed Pea Salad
• Hoppin’ John
• Black-Eyed Hummus

Here is a link to all of my Southern pea recipes if you need more menu ideas or recipes. You might also want to check out this roundup post:10 Good Luck New Year’s Day Recipes.

★ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!

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5 from 2 votes

Black-Eyed Pea Soup Recipe

Black-Eyed Pea Soup, full of carrots, celery, onions, and collard greens, is the epitome of a lucky New Year's Day dish. With black-eyed peas for luck and greens, which symbolize money, you can't go wrong with this nutritious and delicious soup to welcome in the new year. 

Course Dinner, Soup

Cuisine Southern

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Soaking time 8 hours

Total Time 9 hours 10 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 366kcal

Author Sharon Rigsby

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound dried black-eyed peas soaked overnight in water to rehydrate
• ▢ 1 cup ham cubed, or one ham hock or ham shank
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 carrots chopped
• ▢ 2 ribs celery chopped
• ▢ 1 yellow onion medium, chopped
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 pinch crushed red pepper
• ▢ 1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies Rotel
• ▢ 8 cups chicken stock
• ▢ 2 cups fresh collard greens rinsed and cut into ribbons
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

• Soak the peas overnight in a large bowl filled with water. Make sure to keep the water level at least two inches over the peas while they rehydrate. After they rehydrate, drain and rinse the peas.
• Add olive oil to a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, celery, ham, ham hock, or ham shank. Cook until the vegetables have softened, which should take four to five minutes. Then, add the garlic and cook for one minute.
• Add the drained peas, red wine vinegar, chicken stock, tomatoes and green chilies, kosher salt, and pepper and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add the collard greens and cook uncovered for an additional 15-30 minutes, or until the peas are tender.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

Serve the soup with cornbread or hoecakes. With the peas and greens, it is a complete nutritious meal all by itself.

You can use a slow cooker or crockpot if you like to make this dish. Cook the onion, ham, garlic, carrots, and celery as directed. Put this and the rest of the ingredients in a slow cooker or crockpot and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours. Do not add the collard green until the last hour of cooking.

You can substitute fresh kale for the collard greens.

Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to four days. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for several months. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a saucepan on the stove.

This soup can be made up to 48 hours ahead. Store in the refrigerator and heat in a saucepan on the stove. It will thicken after being refrigerated, and you may need to add additional chicken stock.

You can substitute a ham bone or smoked turkey for the ham products.

Nutrition

Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 719mg | Potassium: 1021mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3035IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 5mg

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