Black Eyed Pea Soup

Black-eyed pea soup is a simple, rustic dish that's full of flavor from the earthiness of the black eyed peas, smoky bacon, and spicy tomatoes and green chiles. It's a hearty, budget friendly meal that goes together in 30 minutes.

Course Main Dish (Quick and Easy), Soup

Cuisine American - Southern

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 403kcal

Author Marye Audet-White

Equipment

Ingredients

½ pound bacon
2 medium onions chopped
3 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
48 ounces black eyed peas 3 cans, or 1 lb of dried (soaked overnight), or 1 pound fresh
28 ounces diced tomatoes & green chilies 2 cans
1 quart chicken stock
14 ounces collard greens drained (optional)

Instructions

Stovetop

Cut bacon into small pieces and fry until crisp.
Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside, reserving the bacon grease in the pan.
Add the chopped onions and garlic and cook until almost tender.
Add the remaining ingredients except the bacon.
Simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the bacon just before serving.
Add a generous spoonful of the cooked greens to each bowl before adding the soup. This way people who don't like greens can enjoy this recipe as well.

Slow Cooker

Cut bacon into small pieces and fry until crisp. Set aside.
Add all of the ingredients except the bacon to the slow cooker. Stir in a tablespoon or two of the bacon grease.
Simmer for 3 to 10 hours or until black eyed peas are cooked and flavors have blended.
Add the bacon just before serving.

Notes

Be sure to drain and rinse canned black eyed peas or beans really well before using
Make it less spicy by using 1 can of tomatoes & chiles and one can of plain, diced tomatoes
Use smoked sausage or ham instead of bacon
Use V-8 juice or vegetable stock instead of chicken broth
Add leftover veggies like corn, sliced carrots, or even green beans
Make this vegetarian by leaving out the bacon and use vegetable stock or V-8 instead of chicken stock.
Substitute any kind of beans for the black eyed peas - kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans... etc.

Nutrition