Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Dumplings (Printer-Friendly)

Hearty stew featuring black-eyed peas, smoked sausage, and fluffy cornmeal buttermilk dumplings for a comforting Southern meal.

# What You Need:

→ For the Stew

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 12 ounces smoked sausage, sliced
03 - 1 medium onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 medium carrot, diced
07 - 1 green bell pepper, chopped
08 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 2 cans (15 ounces each) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
10 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
11 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
13 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - Salt to taste

→ For the Dumplings

16 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
17 - 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
18 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
19 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
20 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
21 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
22 - 3/4 cup buttermilk

# How to Cook:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add sliced sausage and cook until browned, approximately 5 minutes.
02 - Add diced onion, minced garlic, diced celery, diced carrot, and chopped bell pepper. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until vegetables are softened.
03 - Pour chicken broth into the pot. Stir in black-eyed peas, dried thyme, smoked paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper if using, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.
04 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, yellow cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in melted butter and buttermilk until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - Remove the bay leaf from the stew. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed for desired flavor balance.
06 - Drop spoonfuls of dumpling batter (approximately 2 tablespoons each) onto the simmering stew. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes until dumplings are puffed and cooked through. Do not lift the lid during the steaming process.
07 - Serve the stew hot, garnishing with fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dumplings soak up all that smoky, rich broth while staying impossibly fluffy and tender on top.
  • It's the kind of dish that tastes even better the next day, making it perfect for meal prep or feeding a crowd.
  • One pot, bold flavors, and zero pretension—just genuine comfort that comes together in about ninety minutes.
02 -
  • Do not lift the lid while the dumplings are cooking—I learned this the hard way when my first batch turned out dense and gummy because the steam escaped before they were done.
  • Overmixing the dumpling batter is your biggest enemy; once the buttermilk is incorporated and there are no visible streaks, stop immediately or you'll end up with the texture of hockey pucks.
  • Tasting the stew before the dumplings go in gives you a chance to adjust the seasoning when you still can, rather than trying to fix it afterward.
03 -
  • If you want the sausage to be crispier, brown it in batches and set it aside before sautéing the vegetables, then add it back at the end instead of keeping it in throughout the simmer.
  • The dumpling batter can be prepared up to an hour ahead and kept in the refrigerator, but do not add the buttermilk until you're ready to cook so the baking powder and baking soda don't start reacting too early.
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