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The New Year is upon us and for me that means having black-eyed peas and greens on the menu in various forms. As a reader you may know that my background is of Southern heritage. All though I no longer live below the Mason-Dixon Line, I still take part in many of the wonderful foods and traditions. If you are not familiar with the eating of peas and greens at the start of the New Year, the peas, once swollen in size, represent prosperity and the greens represent good fortune.
The dried black-eyed peas can be soaked overnight or quick soaked if you are pressed for time. Once soaked, I cook the beans with a few veggies like garlic, onion, celery, and carrots, a ham hock for good flavor, and the collard greens. Unlike the original recipe that adds the greens at the end of the cooking time, I like to cook the greens for a longer period of time with the beans to remove the bitter flavor and for a tender bite. (Opposite goes for adding the diced ham.) I use the ham hock to flavor the broth and then add the ham right before serving along with any meat from the hock. That way the ham stays moist and tender, but the soup still has that deep ham flavor.
This is a great recipe for those of you who enjoy your black-eyed peas and greens, but without all the work of a full menu of Hoppin’ John, Southern Cooked Greens, and Glazed Ham (that comes Sunday). Although we are ending the year in Chicago without any accumulated snow (is that possible), the air is chilly and a body-warming bowl of goodness with a dash or two or three of hot sauce is a welcome meal. And what could be better than ending the year with a bowl full of prosperity and good fortune? The great taste is just a bonus!
Black-Eyed Pea and Collard Green Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried black-eyed peas, picked of stones and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons Safflower oil or other neutral oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large rib celery, finely minced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into a 1/4-inch dice
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth1
- smoked ham hock
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 bunch, about 3/4 pound collard greens, ribs removed and thinly sliced
- ½ pound ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Accompaniment
- Tabasco or hot sauce
- Corn Bread
Instructions
- Place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover by 3 inches with cold water. Set aside for 8 hours or overnight; drain and rinse well.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and celery and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots, peas, broth, ham hock, thyme, bay leaves, and collards and bring to a boil, skimming any foam on the surface. Reduce the heat to a simmer, partially cover, and cook for 45 minutes to an hour or until the peas and vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaves and ham hock; allow the ham hock to cool slightly.
- Pull any meat from the hock and chop into bite-size pieces and return to the pot. (For a slightly thicker and creamier soup, smash a few peas against the side of the pot with a spoon.)
- Add the diced ham and heat just until warmed through. Stir in the vinegar and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve with Tabasco and corn bread on the side. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yum!
when do you add the greens?
Anon-
Thanks– good catch. They are added with the broth and veggies– recipe edited.
Hi Nicole, I'm surprised you can get many people to eat black-eyed peas with you in Chicago. I would never have eaten them as a farm girl in Indiana. But now that I'm in Texas, we will definitely be eating them–with a dime hidden in the pot. Did y'all do that too?
Paula-
Fortunately, my family loves black-eyed peas:) As far as the dime in the pot– haven't heard of that one, but the Polish side of my family showers with a coin in the shower for luck. All strange (and fun) customs. Happy New Year!
This is the South in a bowl. I can't wait to try this. Wishing you a Happy New Year!
The amount of greens in the recipe seems enormous! But I made this today and I added all 12 ounces, and it was just right.
Making this right now! Can't wait to taste it!
I tripled the carrots and celery; the extra ccarrots made it very slightly sweet. Very happy with the results, with one exception.
Cooking the smoked ham hocks I used for an hour is not long enough for them to come apart. You should probably simmer them for 2 hours in the broth before adding them to the recipe. That way they will fall apart and the broth will be thicker.
Will make this year, adding cooked rice at the end. No ham hocks only bone and meat from my Christmas Ham plus a little sausage.
What would be a good substitute for the ham? A turkey leg?
Yes, a smoked turkey leg would be a nice substitute.
Made for New Years with leftover meaty ham bone from Christmas. Used a little wine to deglaze saute pan and left out vinegar. Cooked it longer for ham to fall off bone and didn't add greens until later in cooking. My family and guests raved over the results. Best ever!
That's wonderful! Thanks for letting me know how you made it your own.
Made this last night. I could've eaten off my fingers for all I know because I was totally entranced by all the yummy southern goodness in one bowl! 5+STARS! BRAVO!….👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Yay! I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!
Made this soup and shared with neighbors for the new year. Excellent! Do you do the nutritional values on your recipes? I am trying to put in the WW program.
I am so glad you and your friends enjoyed it! Unfortunately, I do not have the nutritional values for my recipe at this time. Wishing you good fortune and prosperity in 2022!
This sounds so good and just what I have a taste for! I only have frozen black eyed peas. How should I incorporate them? Same time as the soaked, dried peas or, later?
I suggest adding the thawed peas with the ham at the end of the recipe until just warmed through. Enjoy!
I have made this one several times, and with different meats. I’ve even added smoked kielbasa along with the ham because it wasn’t a ham hock. The only thing I have done differently is add a splash of heavy, whipping cream at the end. Even people who have not been willing to try collard greens before I’ve tried this soup and loved it.
Made this and added smoked Turkey Tail. It came out super delish!!! I think the apple cider vinegar really adds a brightness to it. Family loved it!!
I have made this soup for the past several years now. It's delicious, easy and has become our New Year's Day tradition. After all of the cooking and baking through the holidays it's so nice to have a simple dinner.
I am so pleased y'all enjoy the soup! Your comment warms my heart!
How would I incorporate canned black eyed peas? That's all I have at the moment.
Half a cup of dried beans is approximately one (15-ounce) can, so I would use four cans of beans, drained and rinsed. Since they are cooked, I would add them along with the ham until they are warmed through.
"Add the carrots, peas, broth, ham hock, thyme, bay leaves, and collards"