Southern-Style Black-Eyed Peas (Printer View)

Hearty black-eyed peas with smoky sausage, bacon, and Creole spices simmered to tender perfection.

# What you'll need:

→ Meats

01 - 8 oz smoked sausage such as Andouille or Kielbasa, sliced
02 - 4 oz thick-cut bacon, diced

→ Legumes

03 - 1 lb dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and sorted

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 large onion, diced
05 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Liquids

08 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 1 cup water

→ Spices and Seasonings

10 - 2 bay leaves
11 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
13 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional for heat
14 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15 - 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

→ Finishing

16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
17 - Hot sauce, to serve

# Method:

01 - Place dried black-eyed peas in a large bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight, then drain and rinse thoroughly before cooking. Alternatively, for a quick soak, cover peas with boiling water, let stand for 1 hour, then drain and rinse.
02 - In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, cook the diced bacon over medium heat until crisp, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
03 - Add the sliced sausage to the pot and sauté until browned, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside with the cooked bacon.
04 - In the same pot, add diced onion, bell pepper, and celery. Sauté until vegetables are softened, approximately 5-6 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
05 - Stir in the soaked black-eyed peas, chicken broth, water, bay leaves, smoked paprika, dried thyme, cayenne pepper if using, freshly ground black pepper, and kosher salt. Return the cooked bacon and sausage to the pot.
06 - Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until peas are tender and the broth is deeply flavored. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Remove bay leaves from the pot. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley immediately before serving.
08 - Ladle into bowls and serve hot with hot sauce on the side. Traditionally accompanied by steamed rice or cornbread.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The smoked sausage and bacon create a depth of flavor that makes the whole pot taste like someone's been tending it all morning.
  • One pot, minimal cleanup, and you've got enough to feed a crowd or stretch through the week.
  • It's the kind of dish that gets better as it sits, so make it ahead and watch the flavors deepen overnight.
02 -
  • If your peas never soften even after 1.5 hours, you likely have old peas—check your pantry date and buy fresh ones; stale peas will stay tough no matter how long you cook them.
  • Don't skip the browning step on the sausage and bacon; it's the difference between flavorful and tasting like you just boiled everything together.
  • Taste as you go in the final 30 minutes of cooking so you can adjust salt and heat gradually rather than overshooting it at the end.
03 -
  • Cook this the day before you plan to serve it if you can—the flavors become rounder and more integrated, and you'll avoid any last-minute stress.
  • If the broth seems too thin at the end, remove the lid for the final 15-20 minutes of cooking to let some liquid evaporate and concentrate the flavor.
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