Black-Eyed Peas and Bacon Soup (Print Version)

Hearty smoky soup with black-eyed peas, bacon, and vegetables simmered in light broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 8 oz smoked bacon, diced

→ Legumes

02 - 2 cups dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and drained, or 3 cans (15 oz each) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

07 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Seasonings

08 - 1 bay leaf
09 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 - Salt to taste

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until crisp, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to a slotted spoon and reserve, keeping the rendered fat in the pot.
02 - Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté in the bacon fat until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in the black-eyed peas, chicken broth, bay leaf, thyme, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Bring to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes if using soaked dried peas, or 20 minutes if using canned peas, until the peas are tender and flavors have melded.
05 - Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with reserved bacon and chopped parsley before serving.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The bacon fat does half the work, making the vegetables taste like they've been cooked for hours when it's only been minutes.
  • Black-eyed peas have this subtle sweetness that plays beautifully against the smoke and herbs, so you never feel like you're eating health food.
  • It's the kind of soup that tastes better the next day, meaning you can actually have time to yourself instead of cooking every night.
02 -
  • If you forget to soak dried peas overnight, use canned instead of trying to rush it—undercooked peas taste mealy and the whole soup suffers.
  • Taste before you salt, and taste again after each addition, because the bacon will surprise you with how much seasoning it's already brought to the party.
03 -
  • Make a double batch and freeze half in portions—it reheats beautifully and tastes even richer the second time around.
  • If your soup becomes too thick, thin it with warm broth added a splash at a time; if it's too thin after simmering, just let it cook uncovered for another 10 minutes.
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