Black-Eyed Pea Soup with Ham (New Year’s Soup) ~ Macheesmo

If there’s one recipe that has to be on my list every year, it’s this Black Eye Pea Soup. Ever since I was a kid I’ve always had a big pot of this simmering on the stove for New Year’s Eve because it’s said to bring good luck for the whole year!

While I’m not positive As for the promise of happiness, I’m not willing to risk it either. Also, I love black-eyed peas. To this day I do it every year without exception.

There are many variations and substitutions you can make to this soup. I’ve tried listing some of my favorites below, but the recipe is very simple and basic. The whole idea is that this is a comfort food soup and you don’t need a lot of fancy ingredients to make it delicious.

Happy New Year to you and your family and welcome the new year with some black-eyed peas!

Need to soak black-eyed peas?

This soup recipe has very simple ingredients but requires a bit of planning as you will need to soak the beans overnight.

I recommend sorting your black-eyed peas, as sometimes you’ll find small pebbles in them! Then place the black-eyed peas in a large bowl and cover completely with cold water and leave to soak overnight. They will more than double in size and can be added to your soup the next day.

Rinse the black-eyed peas well in a colander before cooking them.

If you forget this or don’t want to bother, I’d recommend checking out this pressure cooker black cowpea recipe from Dad Cooks Dinner, which is also a great option.

Basic ingredients for Black-eyed Bean Soup

This recipe is very simple in the ingredients list. I prefer to keep it simple, but you can read some of the substitution ideas below if you want to change it up or add more flavors to the soup.

Here are the basics I used:

• 1 pound black-eyed peas
• Ham steak or smoked ham leg – this gives the soup a great taste
• Garlic – Must have in my opinion.
• Onions – I used a mix of pearl onions and spring onions for my version
• Salt and Pepper – I keep the seasonings simple.

Prepare black-eyed pea soup

Once you’ve soaked your black-eyed peas, set them aside and chop your ham, garlic, and scallions. Chop up the white part of the onions for the stew and then we use the greens to garnish.

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the scallions and garlic. Let these sauté for 2 or 3 minutes.

Then add your ham. This should cook for ten minutes. You want your ham to just start to brown a little.

Then add the black-eyed peas to the pot. You want to stir well to make sure all of your flavors are incorporated.

Next, add six cups of water and bring to a boil. Once the stew is simmering, turn to low and let your soup simmer for an hour.

After this hour, throw in your pearl onions. I tried my soup here too, adding salt and pepper until I liked the taste. You could add many other spices like oregano, red pepper flakes, etc. I wanted to keep mine pretty simple though.

Let this simmer for another 30 minutes and your beans should be tender and perfect. If they aren’t, let them cook another thirty. Very easy. Delicious.

I like to leave this pot on low all day and if you have people over they can help themselves throughout the day. It’s a very warming dish and who knows… maybe you’ll get lucky next year!

Instructions for slow cooker soup

It makes sense to want to cook this in the slow cooker. You can start the soup in the morning and it’s ready for dinner in the afternoon.

To make it in the slow cooker, I would simply add all the ingredients (including the soaked black-eyed peas) to the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.

As always, taste and adjust the soup as you like when it’s almost done. It sure could use a pinch of salt and pepper.

Substitutions and Ideas!

This is an incredibly flexible soup and many people add their own twists to the soup. Here are some ideas!

• For a vegan or vegetarian version of the soup, omit the ham and maybe add some mushrooms or something for some umami flavors.
• Add some dried chilies to the soup for a flavorful kick.
• Consider adding other herbs, such as bay leaves, parsley, or oregano, to the soup as it simmers.
• Add veggies to the soup for a more traditional Southern approach. You can use collards or kale.
• Add other vegetables that go well with the soup, such as celery, carrots, or green peppers, to the soup.

What to serve with black eye pea soup

Traditionally, you would serve this soup with cornbread, so give this cornbread a try if you want to keep it classic.

But some other options would be a good crusty baguette or garlic bread!

Storage and reheating of the soup

This soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. The peas will start to decompose after 4-5 days, so try to eat them quickly. You can also freeze leftovers for up to three months if you want to keep them longer.

Heat the black-eyed pea soup on the stovetop over low heat until it comes to a simmer. Add a splash of water if it seems too thick.

Eat some soup this New Year’s Day and hope for prosperity and health in the New Year!

My Black-Eyed Pea Soup Recipe

Here are a few other great recipes to try!