Black Eyed Pea Soup

 A New Year’s Day tradition, this Black Eyed Pea Soup is incredibly easy to make, healthy and so very delicious. Serve over brown rice with my Mom’s Old Fashioned Cornbread for a Southern soul food way to ring in the year.

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Black Eyed Pea Soup (aka Hoppin’ John Soup) 

In short, black eyed peas are eaten at New Years because legend has it that they bring good luck. The addittion of collard greens symbolizes financial prosperity and cornbread symbolizes gold, or in other words plenty of money to spend. Also, throw some tomatoes in with the black eyed peas and that symbolizes health. Interestingly enough, these legends date as far back as 500 A.D. as part of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah but the addittion of rice is of African origin. 

Health Benefits of Eating Black Eyed Peas

As with many other beans, black eyed peas are nutrient dense, fiber and protein packed. Additionally, the potential benefits of eating black eyed peas range form supporting weight loss, promoting digestive health and enhancing heart health. For me personally, this hearty soup is highly satisfying and I don’t crash with low energy after eating it. 

Ingredients Needed

Main Ingredients

• Black Eyed Peas– 16 ounces of dried black eyed peas that are soaked overnight. Another option would be to quick soak the beans. To do so pick through the beans, removing any rocks or debris and rinse in a colander. Place beans in a stock pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring pot to a boil for a minute. Take off of heat, cover and let sit for 45 minutes- 1 hour. Drain beans of water, rinse well and precede with recipe. 
• Chicken Broth– Using chicken broth, chicken bone broth or chicken stock in addition to water adds a depth of flavor. Also, beef or vegetable broth may replace the chicken broth if desired. 
• Water

Flavor Enhancers

• Ham– Leftover holiday ham (even spiral or candied ham) or ham hocks (about 1- 1 1/2 pounds) gives this Black Eyed Peas Soup incredible flavor. Note: Both ham hock and ham shank will provide a tasty extra smoky flavor. 
• Brown Onion (aka Yellow Onion)– Onions and garlic are crucial when making a homemade pot of beans because of the amount of flavor they add. 
• Celery– An important part of the aromatic vegetable base for this soup. (Aromatics are vegetables that help to deliver deep flavor when cooking. The onion, celery and garlic are all examples of aromatics.)
• Garlic– Similar to the celery and onion, garlic is necessary for flavor. If you are a garlic lover like me, sneaking extra cloves in is always good thing. 
• Black Pepper
• Bay Leaves– Adding them brings in extra flavor. However, don’t make the mistake of eating the bay leaves. They should be removed before serving. 
• Basil, Thyme and Oregano– These are the herbs that are part of creole spice blends. 
• Smoked Paprika– Adds in a smokey flavor and aroma. Similarly to the herbs, smoked paprika is part of creole spice blends. 
• Cayenne Pepper– Not only is cayenne pepper part of creole spice blends, it is what gives spice to these beans. For spicy Black Eyed Pea Soup use anywhere from 1 teaspoon- 1 tablespoon. The amount used in this recipe gives these beans a mild heat. However, for anyone who is sensitive to spice simply eliminate it all together.
• Tomato Paste– Tomatoes are very complimentary to beans. Needless to say, adding in tomato paste brings in delicious rich undertones of tomato. 

How To Make Black Eyed Pea Soup

1. Place all the ingredients into a large pot or large dutch oven.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling stir, lower heat to lowest setting and cover.
3. Simmer stirring occasionally until beans are tender, about 1 1/2- 2 hours. Note: The cooking time will vary depending on how thick of a soup is desired.
4. Remove ham hocks from beans, place onto a plate and remove meat from bones. Cut ham into smaller pieces if necessary and add back into beans. Dispose of bone and skin.

Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas

1. Place soaked and drained beans along with all other ingredients into a 6 quart or larger Instant Pot. Note: If using leftover ham from the holidays, remove as much meat from the bone as possible and cut into chunks. Place both the bone and the ham chunks into the Instant Pot. 
2. Place lid on and close valve to the sealed position.
3. Cook on high pressure (or bean setting) for 30 minutes.
4. Allow for natural release for 10 minutes and the carefully do a quick release.
5. Remove ham hocks from beans and place on plate. Remove the meat from the bone and add back into beans. Discard the bones. 

Crockpot Black Eyed Peas (Slow Cooker)

1. Add all the ingredients to a large Crockpot.
2. Cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
3. Remove ham hocks from beans and place on plate. Remove the meat from the bone and add back into beans. Discard the bones. 

Variations 

The beauty of this bean soup is that you can customize it with so that it meets your personal taste preferences. Here are a few ideas for customization.

• Change up the meat by replacing ham with cooked sausage. Homemade Chorizo, Italian Sausage or Breakfast Sausage crumbles would all taste delicious in this soup.
• Replace the ham with crumbled bacon or use a combination of ham and bacon. 
• Cut up a small pork shoulder into bites sized pieces. Salt and pepper and then sear the pork pieces and use in place of ham. 
• Roughly chop collard greens, kale or Swiss chard. Add in the last few minutes of simmering.
• Chopped green pepper adds another layer of delicious flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should black eyed peas be soaked?

Soaking can do a number of things for beans. Generally, I am not a huge fan of soaking beans when cooking for my family and have found this to be a personal choice for many home cooks. However, black eyed peas release a large amount of grey from their black eye portion. The soaking ensures that the grey water is not added to your soup.

How do you keep black eyed peas from getting mushy?

For a bean soup that has intact whole black eyed peas, cook the soup just to the point of the beans being tender. It will be important to keep a watchful eye on them at around the 45 minute marker to ensure that the beans are not cooked past this point.

How do I thicken Black Eyed Pea Soup?

There are two ways to thicken Black Eyed Pea Soup. Choose which one best meets your needs.

1. Simmer the beans for a longer time (2- 2 1/2 hours).
2. Once the beans are tender, remove 1 cup and mash with a potato masher. 

If my soup is too thick, how do I thin it out?

The best way to thin out soup that is too thick is to add additional chicken broth or water. The amount will depend on how much soup there is. It is always best to start with just a little liquid because you can always add more.

More Healthy Recipes To Start The New Year

Lemon Chicken Stir Fry

Panko Crusted Salmon

Italian White Bean Soup

Pineapple Chicken Curry

Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup

Black Eyed Pea Soup

 A New Years tradition, this Black Eyed Pea Soup incredibly easy to make, healthy and so very delicious. Serve over brown rice with my Mom's Old Fashioned Cornbread for a Southern soul food way to ring in the year.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Black Eyed Peas Soup, Cooking Black Eyed Peas

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Soaking Time: 8 hours hours

Servings: 8 Servings

Calories: 281kcal

Author: Heather

Ingredients

• 16 ounces black eyed peas *presoaked, See Note #1 below
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 pound ham hocks *ham shanks or leftover ham, See Note #2 below
• 1 large onion *diced, about 1 1/2-2 cups
• 4 stalks celery *diced
• 7 cloves garlic *crushed or diced, See Note #3 below
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoon basil
• 2 teaspoon thyme
• 2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper See Note #4 below
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

Instructions

• Place all the ingredients into a large stockpot.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling stir, lower heat to lowest setting and cover.
• Simmer stirring occasionally until beans are tender, about 1 1/2- 2 hours.
• Remove ham hocks from beans, place onto a plate and remove meat from bones. Cut ham into smaller pieces if necessary and add back into beans. Dispose of bone and skin.
• Beans may be served at this time.

  See Note #5 below for instructions on thickening soup.

Notes

Recipe Notes

Note #1– To soak beans overnight (approximately 8-12 hours) rinse beans and pick through them to remove any debris or rocks. Place beans in a large bowl or stockpot and cover with 2 inches of room temperature water. Once they have soaked, drain the beans and rinse well. 

A quick soak of the beans will take approximately 1 hour. Place the rinsed and picked though beans in a stockpot covered in 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil for 1 full minute. Take of heat, cover and let the beans sit for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans well.

Note #2– Ham hocks generally tend to be bonier whereas ham shanks are meatier. Both will add wonderful flavor to the beans. When using leftover holiday ham cut as much of the meat off of the bone. Additionally, use the bone when cooking because it will add wonderful flavor to the beans. 

Note #3– 7 cloves of garlic (or approximately 2 tablespoons) may seem like an excessive amount. However, it a crucial element to bringing in depth of flavor. 

Note #4– For spicy Black Eyed Pea Soup use anywhere from 1 tsp (a medium heat)- 1 tablespoon (very hot heat). For anyone who is sensitive to spicy heat, simply eliminate from recipe. 

Note #5– To thicken soup in the classic Southern style either continue simmering the beans for an addition 20-30 minutes. Another option would be to remove 1 cup of beans, mash them with a potato masher and stir back into the pot of beans. 

Instant Pot Instructions– Place soaked and drained beans along with all other ingredients into a 6 quart or larger Instant Pot. Place lid on and close valve to the sealed position. Cook on high pressure (or bean setting) for 30 minutes. Allow for natural release for 10 minutes and the carefully do a quick release. Remove ham hocks from beans and place on plate. Remove the meat from the bone and add back into beans. Discard the bones. 

Crockpot Instructions– Add all the ingredients to a large Crockpot. Cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Remove ham hocks from beans and place on plate. Remove the meat from the bone and add back into beans. Discard the bones. 

Nutrition

Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 630mg | Potassium: 624mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 681IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 3mg

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