Black Eyed Pea Soup

Black eyed pea soup with ham is a hearty, smoky, and slightly spicy dish that will warm you up even on the chilliest of fall nights.

Over a year ago, my husband and I had dinner with another couple at a local restaurant. My husband ordered a bowl of their soup of the day – black-eyed pea soup.  My husband is a big black-eyed pea lover (the legume; not the band), so it wasn’t any surprise that he thought this soup was anything short of amazing. 

I have to admit, even I thought it was pretty darn tasty.  Not long afterwards, he asked me to recreate the soup.  Of course, the restaurant isn’t going to hand out their recipes to just anyone, so I set out to create a recipe that was pretty close.

How to Make Black Eyed Pea Soup

Black eyed pea soup is not only tasty and filling, but it is also economical. It uses dried black eyed peas that do not need to be soaked beforehand. It’s also a great way to use up leftover ham from a holiday meal. I used two leftover hambones for seasoning, but you could also use ham hocks. Since this soup is meant to cook low and slow, it adapts well for stovetop, Instant Pot or slow cooker methods.

Ingredients You Will Need

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cup diced green onions
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 3-4 cloves minced garlic
• 4 ham hocks or two ham bones
• 1 pound dried black eyed peas
• 2 1/2 quarts chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 3/4 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 1/4 cups diced cooked ham

Stove Top Method

Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. If using hambones, make sure the stock pot is large enough to allow the large ham bones to lay flat inside the post. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, bell pepper, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, ham bones (or ham hocks) and black eyed peas. Sauté for five minutes. Next, add the chicken stock and bay leaves. Bring the soup to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer for two hours, stirring every 30 minutes.

Remove ham hocks or ham bones and set aside to cool. Once the hambones are cool enough to handle, remove any remaining meat and add it to the soup. Discard the bones. Add the seasonings and diced ham and cook until heated through, about five minutes.

Instant Pot Method

Pour the oil into the insert of the Instant Pot and press the SAUTE function. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, bell pepper, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, ham hocks and black eyed peas. Sauté for five minutes. Next, add the chicken stock and bay leaves. Turn off the SAUTE function. Seal the Instant Pot lid and select the MANUAL function. Set the timer for 30 minutes. Let the pressure drop naturally.

Remove the ham hocks from the soup. Once the ham hocks are cool enough to touch, remove the meat and add it to the soup. Discard the bones. Add the seasonings and diced ham and stir to heat through.

Slow Cooker Method

Add all the ingredients except the diced ham into the crock of a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for eight hours or high for four hours. Before serving, stir in the diced ham until heated through.

Before serving, I like to add a dollop of sour cream to the top along with an extra sprinkling of cayenne and a few additional diced green onions. My husband likes to add a few dashes of hot sauce. Serve with a wedge of hot buttered cornbread or cheese and bacon muffins on the side.

How to Store Leftover Black Eyed Pea Soup

Once cooled, black eyed pea soup should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Leftovers need to be eaten within 4-7 days. Since the peas will soak up much of the liquid, you may need to add a little chicken broth to thin out the soup when you reheat.

I don’t recommend freezing black eyed pea soup as the process of freezing and thawing will break down the beans and give them a mushy texture. However, if you own a pressure canner, I have had great success with canning this soup. Simply pour into clean quart jars, leave 1-inch of headspace and process for 90 minutes at 10 pound of pressure.

More Black Eyed Pea Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Bacon and Black Eyed Pea Hummus
• Southern Black Eyed Peas with Saffron
• Pot Liquor Collard Greens Soup