In the South, Black-Eyed Peas are considered a classic New Year’s Day tradition! And, it is thought that eating Black-Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day will bring good luck and prosperity in the new year! My healthy Southern Black-Eyed Peas recipe is also perfect if you want to lose weight. Pair it with brown rice and you have a delicious, low-calorie, nutritional bonanza!
(My step-daughter Kathryn made the beautiful board that the bowl of peas are sitting on for me for Christmas and I couldn’t wait to show it off! Thank you, Kathryn!)
Southern Black-Eyed Peas or Cow Peas as they used to be called have come a long way from their lowly beginnings as food for cattle to the tasty legumes we now have today. These nutritious and delicious little gems have high levels of dietary fiber, iron, folate, potassium, protein, and Vitamin A and they are relatively low in calories. Another real plus, a two-pound bag of dried Black-Eyed Peas which costs around $3.00 will feed 24 people! How’s that for a bargain!
Pair Black-Eyed Peas with Brown Rice and you have a nutritional powerhouse and a low-calorie recipe to help you lose weight!
This week I will be sharing three Black-Eyed Pea recipes, my favorite, traditional Southern Black-Eyed Peas, my husband’s favorite, Hoppin’ John which is Black-Eyed Peas and rice, and an appetizer we both love Black-Eyed Pea Hummus! So, no matter how you like them prepared, I have you covered, and yes, next year when you look back on how lucky you were in 2017, you can thank me for making sure you started the New Year out right! And, if by any chance you happen to win the lottery, just remember me…
The ingredient list for my Southern Black-Eyed Peas recipe is a short one and starts with a bag of dried black-eyed peas. You will also need cooked ham, ham hocks, or ham shanks, chicken broth, onion, red wine vinegar, fresh garlic, crushed red pepper and kosher salt and ground black pepper.
Before you begin cooking with the dried peas, you need to rehydrate them using one of two methods.
The first is to soak them overnight by placing the peas in a bowl or pot of cold water and allowing them to stand 6-8 hours. Then the peas need to be drained and rinsed with fresh water. At this point, the peas are ready to cook.
(My daughter Ashley and her husband Randy gave me this beautiful pot for Christmas. It makes me smile just looking at it and it’s the perfect size for this dish! Isn’t it gorgeous?)
However, if you are in a hurry, you can use the quick-soak method. To use this method, add the peas to a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat, cover with water and bring to a rapid boil. Continue boiling the peas for two more minutes. Remove the peas from the heat, cover and let sit for at least an hour. Then drain and rinse with fresh water.
For both of these methods, keep an eye on the peas and add more water, if needed, to keep te peas covered in water while they rehydrate.
When you are ready to make Southern Black-Eyed Peas, rehydrate the peas using the quick soak method or overnight soak method. Drain and rinse the peas.
Add the olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and ham and saute until the onions are tender which should take about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and saute about 1 minute.
Add the peas, chicken stock, red wine vinegar, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let the peas simmer for 45-60 minutes, or until they are tender. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. If desired, garnish with parsley or chives.
Southern Black-Eyed Peas Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black-eyed peas or about 2 cups
- 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 cup cooked ham or one ham hock or ham shank
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 whole medium Vidalia or yellow onion chopped
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 4 cloves of garlic finely minced
- 1 pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Rehydrate peas using the quick soak method or overnight soak method. Drain and rinse the peas.
- Add the olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and ham and saute until the onions are tender which should take about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and saute about 1 minute.
- Add the peas, chicken stock, red wine vinegar, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let the peas simmer for 45-60 minutes, or until they are tender. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. If desired, garnish with parsley or chives.
This is, hands down, the best Black-Eyed Peas recipe I have had. It is simple, easy to prepare. I love recipes where all the ingredients are things I already have on hand. I used a giant ham hock and homemade turkey stock from Christmas dinner. The flavors in this recipe are perfect and require no additions or tweaking of any kind. Your Southern Buttermilk Cornbread recipe is the PERFECT accompaniment. Thank you for your recipes.
Dear Stephanie,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the black-eyed peas and cornbread. And, thank you too for letting me know by leaving such sweet comments!
Happy New Year!
Sharon