Black-Eyed Peas and Bacon Soup (Printer-Friendly)

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

# What You 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 Cook:

01 - In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until crisp, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to a slotted spoon and reserve, maintaining 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 the mixture to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, 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 the bay leaf. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with reserved bacon and chopped parsley before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The bacon fat does all the heavy lifting, so your aromatics become golden and fragrant without any fussing.
  • Ready in under an hour, yet tastes like it's been simmering since morning.
  • Naturally gluten-free and flexible enough to adapt for vegetarians or whatever's in your pantry.
02 -
  • Don't skip soaking dried peas overnight—I learned this the hard way when I tried to shortcut it and ended up with peas that stayed chalky even after an hour of cooking.
  • Taste the soup a minute before you think it's done; sometimes the peas soften suddenly, and overcooking them turns them mushy and makes the broth cloudy.
03 -
  • Keep the heat low during simmering—a rolling boil breaks down the peas too quickly and clouds your broth.
  • If your soup feels too thick, thin it with a splash more broth; if it's too thin, let it simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes to concentrate the flavors.
Go Back