Black-Eyed Pea Soup

At a glance

What stands out: This hearty black-eyed pea soup recipe is full of flavor, packed with beans and veggies, and it’s vegan, too! Using dried beans makes it extra rich and budget-friendly.

How long it takes: 1½ hours, plus soaking time
Equipment you’ll need: large pot or Dutch oven
Servings: 6

Pin this now to find it later

Pin It

Black-Eyed Peas

First, black-eyed peas are not peas at all—they are beans! How they got labeled as peas, we're 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 (we love this black-eyed pea salad!), and even puréed into dips, but we think this soup recipe is one of our favorite ways to incorporate black-eyed peas into our 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. We 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 21 grams 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.

Optional Recipe Tip

Delete or movce as appropriate

What goes in

• 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! This trio of onion, carrot, and celery is known as mirepoix, which is lightly sautéed in olive oil.
• Seasonings: The soup is seasoned with straightforward 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: We 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. We 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.

Canned vs. Dried

We tested this recipe with both canned and dried black-eyed peas and found that the texture and flavor of the dried black-eyed peas was preferable. It does mean the soup takes a bit longer to cook but the difference in hands-on time is minimal. That said, if you’re in a rush, canned black-eyed peas are still rich, and will save you time.

How it comes together

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 speedy-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, 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, then 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.

Straightforward 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 straightforward and rich, or use leftover crockpot ham after a holiday), or smoked sausage (we 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.

Ways to serve it

Cornbread. This is a classic pairing for any Southern-style soup or stew! Try our lighter 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 our 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.

Keeping leftovers

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 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.

• Yield: 6
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Total: 9 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb. dried black-eyed peas (or canned, see notes)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion ( 1 medium onion)
• 1 cup diced carrots ( 2 medium carrots)
• 1 cup diced celery ( 2 stalks)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)
• 4 cups vegetable broth (we use low sodium)
• 1 cup water
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups chopped greens such as kale or collard greens (see note)
• optional garnish: chopped parsley, sliced green onions, or hot sauce

Method

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Add garlic and cook for another minute, stirring, or until fragrant.
4. Stir in the smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook for 1 minute to toast the spices.
5. 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.)
6. 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.
7. Stir in the chopped greens and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the greens are tender.
8. 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.
9. Serve the soup garnished with chopped parsley, sliced green onions, or a drizzle of hot sauce, if desired.

Notes

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 tender, add them during the last few minutes of cooking time.

Add meat: We opted to make this soup vegan but it would be rich 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.