Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat.
Add onion, green onions, bell pepper, and celery. Cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic, ham hocks or ham bones, and black eyed peas. Sauté for five minutes.
Add chicken stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
Cover pot and simmer for two hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
Remove ham hocks or ham bones and discard. Add remaining ingredients.
Simmer until ham is heated through, about five minutes.
Notes
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.