Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Black-Eyed Peas

First, black-eyed peas are not peas at all—they are beans! How they got labeled as peas, I’m not sure, but they have been a staple in Southern cuisine dating back to colonial times. These small, creamy white beans have a distinctive black “eye” on one side, which is how they get the “black-eyed” part of their name.

Flavor-wise, black-eyed peas have a mild, earthy, slightly nutty taste like other beans. They are incredibly versatile and can be used in soups, stews, salads, and even puréed into dips, but I think this black-eyed pea soup recipe is one of my favorite ways to incorporate black-eyed peas into my family’s menu.

(Vegan) Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Packed with flavor. This soup is loaded with aromatic veggies like onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, as well as herbs and spices like thyme and smoked paprika. The beans themselves also add lots of flavor to the broth. I think you may be pleasantly surprised by how flavorful this soup is!

Budget-friendly. Dried beans are less expensive than canned beans and they also have a better texture when cooked. Plus, this recipe makes a big batch of soup that’ll last in the fridge for several days, or even longer in the freezer.

Vegan and vegetarian. This soup is completely plant-based but still packs 21g of protein per serving. The addition of smoked paprika replaces some of the smokiness you’d get from adding ham or sausage. Of course, if you want to throw a little meat in your soup, that’s just fine, too!

A tradition of good luck. Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day, especially in the form of Hoppin’ John beans and rice, is a Southern tradition from way back. It’s believed to bring prosperity in the coming year. That’s a fun tradition to start, but don’t worry—you can definitely enjoy black-eyed peas any time of year.

Ingredient Notes

• Dried black-eyed peas: These dried beans may be labeled black eyed peas or blackeye peas, or cowpeas. You’ll need a 16 oz. bag, or about 2 cups of dried beans.
• Onion, carrots, celery, and garlic: AKA the classic soup vegetables! The onion, carrot, and celery are known as mirepoix and are lightly sautéed in olive oil.
• Seasonings: The soup is seasoned with easy pantry items and include kosher salt, ground black pepper, smoked paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper flakes. The red pepper flakes are optional, or you can adjust the amount to make your black-eyed pea soup milder or spicier, depending on what you like.
• Vegetable broth: I use low-sodium vegetable broth. If you happen to have chicken broth in your pantry instead, that’ll work fine, too.
• Petite diced tomatoes: Again, look for no-salt-added canned tomatoes. You’ll use both the tomatoes and the juice from the can. I like the smaller pieces of tomato in the petite diced tomatoes but if you have regular diced tomatoes, you can substitute them.
• Greens: Hearty kale or collard greens are more commonly used in black-eyed pea soup but you can swap in more delicate baby spinach if you’d like. Just add it near the end of the cooking time since it only needs a few minutes to wilt.
• Optional garnish: Chopped parsley, sliced green onions, or hot sauce are all great choices. Personally, we prefer the green onions.

How to Make Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Prep the black-eyed peas. Pick over the dried beans to check for pebbles and other debris; rinse the peas well under cool running water to remove any dust or dirt.

Soak the peas. Cover the beans with water and soak them overnight; this will expedite the cooking process. You can also use the quick-soak method which involves bringing the beans to a boil and then letting them soak for an hour in the hot water. (The package will have specific instructions.)

Cook the mirepoix. When the peas are ready, warm the oil in a large pot set over medium heat. Stir in the onion, carrots, and celery, along with the salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, or about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute more.

Add the seasoning, peas, and liquids. Stir in the paprika, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes. After a minute, pour in the broth and water and stir in the peas, diced tomatoes and juices, and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer until the black-eyed peas are tender; this should take 45 to 50 minutes, depending on the age of the beans. (The longer they’ve been in storage, the longer they take to get tender.)

Add the greens. Stir in the kale or collard greens and cook 15 minutes more, until the greens are tender.

Finish. Discard the bay leaves and season to taste. You can add more water or broth if you’d like. Divide into bowls and serve with any optional garnishes you’re using.

Easy Recipe Variations

• Make it meaty. For a more traditional black-eyed pea soup, you can add a ham hock, cooked ham (diced ham steak would be easy and delicious, or use leftover crockpot ham after a holiday), or smoked sausage (I love this soup with smoked sausage!).
• Streamline the seasonings. Instead of the smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, simply use a couple teaspoons of Cajun seasoning.
• Make it thicker. Purée a small portion of the beans, veggies, and broth, then stir it back into the soup to make a thicker, creamier soup.

Serving Suggestions

Cornbread. This is a classic pairing for any Southern-style soup or stew! Try my healthy cornbread recipe or cornbread muffins.

Rice. Serve the soup over Instant Pot brown rice or white rice for a heartier meal.

Bread. Any crusty bread would pair well with this soup, especially my no-knead Dutch oven bread recipe.

Salad. A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette (like this honey mustard vinaigrette) would provide a nice contrast to the hearty soup.

Refrigerate/Freeze: Ladle the leftover black-eyed pea soup into an airtight container or covered bowl, and store in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. The flavors actually improve with a day or two in the fridge! This soup also freezes very well. Store it in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months; leave a little head room in the container for expansion.

Reheat: Thaw frozen soup overnight in the fridge or use the defrost setting on your microwave. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, or warm it in the microwave. You may need to add a splash of water or broth if it has thickened too much.

• Sort and rinse the peas. Soak them overnight in water or use the quick soak method (refer to package directions). If you are using canned beans, refer to the notes below.

  1 lb. dried black-eyed peas

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the onions are translucent and vegetables are starting to soften.

  1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 cup diced onion, 1 cup diced carrots, 1 cup diced celery, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

• Add garlic and cook for another minute, stirring, or until fragrant.

  3 cloves garlic, minced

• Stir in the smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook for 1 minute to toast the spices.

  ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

• Add broth, water, black-eyed peas, diced tomatoes (with their juice), and bay leaves. Stir to combine and increase heat to high. Bring the soup to a boil. (It takes about 15 minutes to come to a boil.)

  4 cups vegetable broth, 1 cup water, 1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes, undrained, 2 bay leaves

• Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the beans are tender. If the beans are older, they may take longer to get tender.

• Stir in the chopped greens and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the greens are tender.

  3 cups chopped greens such as kale or collard greens

• Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper as needed. Add more water or broth if it is too thick.

• Serve the soup garnished with chopped parsley, sliced green onions, or a drizzle of hot sauce, if desired.

• Makes about 11 cups.
• Using canned black eyed peas: For a shortcut, substitute 4 cans (15.5 oz. each) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained. Use less salt, about ½ teaspoon. Cook the soup as directed but simmer the soup for only 20 minutes before adding the greens, to cook for another 15 minutes or until greens are tender.
• Greens: If desired, you can use spinach but since spinach leaves are very tender, add them during the last few minutes of cooking time.
• Add meat: We opted to make this soup vegan but it would be delicious simmered with a ham hock (add with the broth and tomatoes) and/or with cubed cooked ham (add with the greens). Smoked sausage is a popular choice, too. Slice the sausage, and brown it in a tablespoon of oil before you put the vegetables in the pot. The sausage can either be removed from the pan and reserved to add with the greens, or left in for the whole cooking time, whichever you prefer.
• Spices: If desired, omit the smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and instead substitute 2 teaspoons of cajun seasoning.

Serving: 1.75cups, Calories: 337kcal, Carbohydrates: 59g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 529mg, Potassium: 1246mg, Fiber: 12g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 5008IU, Vitamin C: 22mg, Calcium: 165mg, Iron: 8mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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