5 Easy Black Eyed Peas Recipe

Black eyed peas recipe, also known as cowpeas, southern peas, or field peas, are a popular and versatile legume that has been a staple in traditional diets for centuries.

These small, creamy white beans with a characteristic black spot are native to Africa and have a long history of cultivation and consumption in many parts of the world, including the southern United States, the Caribbean, and South America.

With their nutty flavour and impressive nutritional profile, black-eyed peas have become a beloved ingredient in many cuisines. They are enjoyed in various dishes, from stews and salads to dips and fritters. In this article, we will explore the history, cultural significance, nutritional value, culinary uses, and more of this beloved legume.

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How to cook Black eyed peas

Ingredients

• 1 lb. dry black-eyed peas
• 6 c. low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 c. baby spinach or other greens
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Add beans to a large bowl and add water to cover by at least 4 inches. Cover and let soak for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.

• Drain beans and rinse under cold water. In a large pot over medium heat add beans and chicken broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer, covered, 45 minutes or until beans are tender. Add more broth as necessary.
• Stir in spinach and simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Southern Black-eyed peas

Recipe ingredients 

1. Black-Eyed Peas

These beans with a slightly smoky flavour are high in protein and fibre, making them not just nutritious but also incredibly delicious.

2. Bacon and Smoked Sausage

The smoky flavour is highly addicting and adds more meaty goodness to this black-eyed peas recipe. Ham and leftover smoked turkey are also excellent additions.

3. Aromatics

Enjoy the exceptional fragrance of caramelized onion and garlic. Additionally, the earthy, herby aroma from thyme, celery, and bay leaf fills the kitchen with fantastic smells.

4. Jalapenos

This optional ingredient is a must-have if you love spicy food. However, you can substitute it with pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce to mellow down the spicy level.

5. Seasonings

Aside from salt and pepper, you can add a pop of colour and flavour with Creole seasoning.

6. Chicken Broth

This is your soup base bursting with chicken essence and rich umami flavours.

7. Collard Greens

Black-eyed beans symbolize pennies. Collard greens, on the other hand, represent bills in this lucky dish. Plus, adding greens makes it more nourishing.

How to Make Black-Eyed Peas Recipe 

• Soak. Rinse dry black-eyed pea beans and pick through and discard any foreign objects. Add beans to a large pot, covering them with 3-4 inches of cold water. Let sit for 2-3 hours.
• Cook the Bacon and Sausage. In a large, heavy sauté pan, saute chopped bacon until brown and crispy for about 4-5 minutes, then add sausage and saute for about 2-3 more minutes. Remove the bacon and sausage mixture, and set aside.
• Saute. Toss in the onions, celery, garlic, jalapenos, thyme, and bay leaf, then saute for 5 minutes or so until the onions become translucent and the seasoning aromatic.

Cooking the peas

• Add Liquid. Then pour in the chicken broth or water.
• Season. Drain the soaked beans, rinse, and place the beans in the pot. And season with creole seasoning and salt to taste. Mix and bring to a boil.
• Simmer. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes.
• Add Collard Greens and Meat. Throw the collard greens, bacon, and sausage into the pot, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or more, stirring occasionally, or until beans are tender and slightly thickened to your desire.
• Final Touch. Add more stock or water if the mixture becomes dry and thick. The texture of the beans should be thick and somewhat creamy but not watery. Remove the bay leaves.
• Serve. Taste and adjust for seasonings with pepper, Creole seasoning, and salt if needed. Serve over cooked rice and garnish with green onion.

Recipe Variations 

1. Vegan

You may omit the meat and replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. And to make this dish more nutritious, you can add carrots and bell peppers.

2. Crockpot Southern Black-Eyed Peas

This one is more effortless but equally delicious. Put everything in the crockpot, and you’ll have your dinner ready in 5-6 hours on high and about 9-10 hours on low. Imagine the things you can accomplish in those waiting hours. 

3. Tropical Twist

Make these black-eyed peas with bacon and pork creamy and interestingly yummy with coconut milk. And I bet you’ll love this dish even more.

4. Tomato

Fresh tomatoes or tomato sauce will also add a nice variation to this Hoppin John recipe. The kick of tangy goodness will surely make your tastebuds happy.

Greek Style black-eyed peas Recipe

Ingredients for black-eyed peas recipe

• Veggies: Onion, Green Bell Pepper, Carrots & Tomatoes.

These are the main veggies in this vegetarian black-eyed peas recipe. I like to chop them up nice and small so they soften up and soak up all the flavours and spices in the stew. And for a shortcut, I used diced tomatoes from a can. Of course, garlic and onions appear since they provide so much delicious depth of flavour.

• Seasoning 

A few Greek spices like dry bay leaves, oregano, cumin, and paprika give the vegan dish so much warmth and depth of flavour. If you like things spicy, you can add in a dash of dried red chilli flakes to give this black-eyed peas recipe a spicy kick!

• Lime or lemon juice

Adding the juice of one lime or lemon, although a final step, is so important to round out flavours and bring some brightness. The acidity cuts through that rich broth and makes the dish pop.

• Black-Eyed Peas

For a shortcut, I used 2 cans of black-eyed peas, but you can definitely start from scratch with black-eyed peas if you have the time.

How to make Greek-style Black Eyed Peas 

• Saute the chopped vegetables. First, cook your chopped onions, garlic, bell peppers, and carrots in some good extra virgin olive oil for about 5 to 7 minutes or until they are fragrant and somewhat tender.
• Add canned tomatoes, 2 cups of water, and 2 cans of drained and rinsed black-eyed peas. 
• Season with 1 bay leaf, 1 ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dry oregano, ½ tsp paprika, Kosher salt, and black pepper, and if you need a little kick, a dash of red pepper flakes.

• Simmer for 25 to 40 minutes! Bring the pot to a rolling boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the beans and veggies are tender and the flavours have melded beautifully (it will take about 25 minutes or so).

• Finish with lemon juice and fresh parsley. The splash of lemon juice stirred at the end brightens this stew in the best way possible.

• Serve with your favourite crusty bread, orzo pasta, or even over some rice.

How to Cook Black-Eyed Peas from Scratch?

If you have some dry black-eyed peas and want to use them in this recipe, you will need just over 1 cup of dry black-eyed peas to give you the equivalent amount of 2 cans of black-eyed peas used in this recipe. Like all beans, dry black-eyed peas require soaking for several hours or overnight before cooking. 

Here is how to cook black-eyed peas from scratch:

• Soak them. Ideally, you will want to soak them overnight, but they can also soak for at least 6 hours. To do this, place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with 3 cups of water. Cover the beans and place in the fridge.
• Cook them. Once soaked, drain the water. Give them a quick rinse. Place them in a large pot and cover them with water (about 4 inches of water.) Bring the black-eyed peas to a simmer, cover, and let simmer for about 1 hour. Begin to check if they are soft and tender after 45 minutes. If the water simmers off too quickly, simply add more water to the pot.
• SEE: 4+ Easy Fish Pie Recipe You Should Try Out This Year

New Year Black Eye Peas Recipe

New Year’s black-eyed peas are cooked with ham, spices and seasonings, and flavorful vegetables.

Why Do We Eat Black-Eyed Peas on New Year’s?

Eating a dish of black-eyed peas and leafy greens was thought to bring good fortune for the coming year, according to the Library of Congress. The small beans, which plump up when cooked, symbolize coins while the greens share the color of paper money.

According to Southern tradition, eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day will bring a year’s worth of good luck and/or monetary gain. 

How to make New Year’s Black-eyed Peas Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry black-eyed peas
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups water
• 2 (32-ounce) cartons of chicken broth
• 1 pound smoked ham hocks
• 1 (14.5 ounces) can of diced tomatoes
• 5 pepperoncini peppers
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Place the black-eyed peas into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let soak, for 8 hours to overnight. Drain and rinse before using.

• Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in 8 cups of water and chicken broth; boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Stir in soaked black-eyed peas, ham hocks, tomatoes, pepperoncini, bay leaf, garlic powder, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.

• Cover and simmer until peas are tender, ham meat falls off the bones, and the broth is thickened for about 3 hours.

• SEE: How to Make the Best Fluffy American Pancake Recipe

Pan Fried Black Eyed Peas Recipe 

Ingredients for fried Black Eyed Peas Recipe

• Canned Black-eyed Peas
• Olive Oil
• Garlic Cloves
• Smoked Paprika
• Red Onion
• Red Bell Pepper
• Kosher Salt and Black Pepper

Instructions.  

• Drain and rinse the beans.
• Place on paper towels and allow to air dry on the counter for at least an hour.
• When ready to cook, heat oil in a Dutch oven or electric fryer to 325 degrees.
• With a heat-proof strainer (cooking spider) scoop up peas and place them into the hot oil.
• Place 2 scoops of peas into the oil at a time being careful not to overcrowd.
• Heat the pan on med-high, add the oil to the hot pan then saute the garlic for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, then add half of the paprika, salt, and pepper. Let simmer (1-2 minutes) to better infuse the oil with flavour.
• Cook for approximately 4 minutes. Peas will start to float to the top of the cooking oil when they are about ready.
• Remove from the fryer and place on paper towels to drain.
• Immediately sprinkle with seasoning salt.

Tips for making fried black eye peas recipe

Rinse and drain the black-eyed peas fully to get rid of the tin can flavour 

Sky’s the limit on seasoning. Use your favourite whether it’s curry, cajun, etc.

Blot the black-eyed peas dry with paper towels to get rid of any excess moisture which is essential for that good crispiness.

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Easy black-eyed Peas Recipe 

Ingredients

• 1 (1-lb.) package of dried black-eyed peas
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 4 thick-cut bacon slices
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (from 1 small onion)
• ½  cup chopped carrots (from 3 medium carrots)
• ½  cup chopped celery (from 3 stalks)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 (4-in.) rosemary sprig
• 1 (3-in.) thyme sprig
• 1 ½  teaspoons kosher salt
• ½  teaspoon black pepper
• 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

Instructions

• Sort and rinse peas, discarding any broken peas or stones. Place peas and water to cover by 2 inches in a large bowl. Allow peas to soak for 8 hours or up to overnight. After soaking, drain the peas and discard the soaking water.

• Place peas, stock, bacon, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker.

• Cover and cook on LOW until tender, about 8 hours. Remove and discard herb sprigs, bay leaves, and bacon slices. If desired, serve peas drizzled with olive oil.

Conclusion 

Black-eyed peas, also known as cowpeas, southern peas, or field peas, are a popular and versatile legume that has been a staple in traditional diets for centuries.

These small, creamy white beans with a characteristic black spot are native to Africa and have a long history of cultivation and consumption in many parts of the world, including the southern United States, the Caribbean, and South America. 

With their nutty flavour and impressive nutritional profile, black-eyed peas have become a beloved ingredient in many cuisines. They are enjoyed in various dishes, from stews and salads to dips and fritters. In this article, we will explore the history, cultural significance, nutritional value, culinary uses, and more of this beloved legume.