Black Eyed Pea Soup

Why You’ll Love This Easy Soup with Black-Eyed Peas

One of my favorite New Year’s has always been these Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas with bacon and cornbread. It’s such a deliciously hearty meal! But recently I started making this Black Eyed Peas Soup recipe, and it’s turned into one of my favorite healthy weeknight dinners. It’s SO flavorful, filling, and just straight-up delicious! Here’s why you’ll love it:

• Comforting Flavors – The magic of Mirepoix, which is onions, carrots, and celery, sautéed as the base of the soup gives all those nostalgic soup vibes I crave in the winter! Add the herby sage and thyme and I’m hooked.
• Healthy Ingredients – The ingredients hit all of the good things our bodies need with carrots, onions, celery, dark leafy greens, and peas. I love starting the year with healthy meals that my whole family loves.
• Filling and Satisfying – Although low in calories, this soup is hearty. I cut back on the broth a little so it almost feels like a stew.
• 30-Minutes – Everything cooks together in one pot, and I’ve made the recipe to be made with shortcuts in about 30 minutes. This fail-proof soup recipe will be a winter weeknight go-to.

Ingredients in Black-Eyed Pea Soup

The ingredients for this recipe are simple and easy to find! If you’re making this for New Years and you have a tough time finding black eyed peas, just know that you can use either canned peas or dried black eyed peas in this recipe. Both work great and I’ve included instructions for both methods!

• Black-Eyed Peas – This recipe is written for using canned peas. They make throwing this soup together so easy. If you want to use dried peas instead, you totally can. Follow these steps to do that.
• Avocado Oil – I like using avocado oil for most things but this soup can be made with any oil you prefer. Olive oil would be a great substitute if you have that on hand.
• Carrots, Celery, and Onion – This combination, also known as Mirepoix, is a classic soup starter for flavor, depth, and sweetness.
• Garlic – You can use fresh garlic cloves that you’ve minced yourself, or use one of my favorite shortcuts – pre-minced, store-bought garlic.
• Thyme & Ground Sage – These two are a match made in heaven and give this hearty soup those cozy winter flavors that taste so familiar.
• Tomato Paste – The tomato paste is rich a strong in tomato flavor so we just need a little bit for the whole pot of soup. Cook it down for a few minutes so it mellows out a bit.
• Chicken Broth – You can use homemade chicken broth, storebought broth, or make some quickly using concentrate. Vegetable broth is also an option if you prefer that.
• Kale – I love the flavor of kale in this soup. You can also use a more traditional option like collard or turnip greens, but follow these tips if you use those.
• Bay Leaf – Bay leaves are awesome additions to soups. Add it whole to the hot soup and remove it just before serving. The flavor seeps into the soup and adds a earthiness that is delicious!
• Salt & Pepper

How to Make Black Eyed Pea Soup

This healthy Black Eyed Pea Soup recipe comes together in one pot in just 30 minutes! Here’s how to make it:

1. In a large Dutch oven, add the oil and sauté the carrots, celery, and onions.
2. Add the garlic, thyme, and sage, and stir well.
3. Add the tomato paste, stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Slowly pour in the chicken broth, stirring gently until all of the tomato paste dissolves into the broth.
5. Add the bay leaf, salt, and pepper and bring it to a boil.
6. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the temperature to low, add the kale and black-eye peas, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
7. Serve in bowls and crusty bread or cornbread.

Using Dried Beans

I wrote this recipe for the quickest and simplest method, but dried beans are often cheaper and easier to control the salt content. If you choose to use dried beans, here are some steps to take:

• Overnight Soak – Sort through the beans and cover them with 6 cups of cold water. Soak the peas overnight. Rinse them and leave them drained until you’re ready to add them to the soup.
• Quick Soak Method – After rinsing the peas, cover them with 3 cups of water for each 1 cup of peas. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and allow them to sit for 1 hour. After the hour, drain and rinse the peas, and set them aside until ready to use them.
• Cooking the Peas – The cooking time of the soup will take longer for the peas to cook completely. Add 20 minutes to the cooking time, and add the kale when you have about 20 minutes left in the cooking time.

The Best Type of Greens for Black Eyed Pea Soup

I cook with kale all the time and really love the flavor of it, but Collard greens and turnip greens are often more commonly paired with black-eyed peas. They’re delicious, too! Here are a few tips if you choose to use them instead of kale:

• Rinse and wash the greens at least 2 times before chopping them. They’re usually quite dirty and sandy straight from the store.
• Remove the stems from the greens after washing them, and then chop them into small bite-sized pieces. The stems can be quite tough and aren’t great in a soup.
• Collard and turnip greens take longer to cook, so add them to the pot before bringing the soup to a boil instead of after.

Storing Black-Eyed Pea Soup Leftovers

Allow the soup to cool completely before storing it. Transfer it to an airtight container and follow the timelines below.

• Refrigerator – Store the soup in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you need to store it longer, simply transfer it to the freezer.
• Freezer – Freeze black-eyed pea soup for up to 3 months. I find it helpful to write the date of freezing on the container so I don’t have to try to remember when I froze it. These wet-erase markers work great for that.
• Reheating – Reheat the soup in the microwave in 1-minute increments until hot. For the stovetop, add the soup to a saucepan and heat on medium heat, stirring occasionally until hot.

More Healthy Soup Recipes You’ll Love

• Potato Leek Soup
• Homemade Tomato Soup
• Creamy Protein Soup
• Chicken Taco Soup
• Vegetarian French Onion Soup