I’m of the opinion that this creamy, slow simmered Black Eyed Pea Stew is a great meal year round.
They are filling, comforting, easy to make, and easy on the wallet. Add some collards for a bit of green, ham for a bit of salt, and brown sugar & white wine vinegar to balance it all out.
- Total Time– 7 hours 40 minutes
- Servings– 8
Black-Eyed Pea Stew Ingredients:
- Dried Black Eyed Peas– soaking these in water overnight is an important step. This drastically reduces the cooking time and makes them easier to digest.
- Diced Ham
- Collard Leaves
- Diced Yellow Onion
- Sliced Celery Stalks
- Minced Garlic
- Chicken Broth
- Cajun Seasoning– I like the ‘Slap Ya Mama’ brand.
- Butter- salted.
- Herbs- bay leaf and fresh thyme.
- Brown Sugar- to add sweetness and balance to the over-all flavor.
- White Wine Vinegar- for some much needed acidity. Apple cider vinegar can also be used.
Equipment Needed:
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- Large Pot
- Ladle or Cooking Spoon
- Knife
- Cutting Board
How to Make Black-Eyed Pea Stew:
- Soak Peas– Place dried black eyed peas in bowl and fill with water until at least an inch above peas. Leave uncovered in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours or overnight. Once ready to cook, drain & rinse peas and set aside.
- Cook Vegetables– In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced ham, diced onions, and sliced celery and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until ham is starting to brown and veggies are slightly tender. Stir in garlic and Cajun seasoning and cook 1 minute longer.
- Add Broth & Peas and Simmer– Pour in chicken broth, black eyed peas, bay leaf, and fresh thyme sprigs. Bring pot to a boil, cover with a lid, and turn heat down to medium-low. Simmer 60 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes. If beans start to look dry, turn heat down slightly and add a bit more broth.
- Add Greens & Finish– Uncover pot and mash a few black eyed peas with the back of a spoon. This will help thicken your stew. Pull the stem off of collard leaves, then use hands to break apart and shred collards to tenderize the leaves. You should have about 4 cups of tenderized leaves. Add collards, brown sugar, and white wine vinegar to pot, stir until well combined. Continue to simmer stew uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15-30 minutes longer until collards are tender and desired consistency is reached. The longer you let it go, the thicker it will get. Remove bay leaf & thyme sprigs, add salt and pepper if needed, and enjoy!
Tips & Recipe Notes:
- If fresh collards can’t be found, 1 cup of drained canned collards can be used. Stir in collards 5 minutes before taking the stew of the heat to warm through.
- Dried black eyed peas need to be soaked for at least 6 hours to re-hydrate the peas. This drastically reduces the cooking time and makes them easier to digest. Peas can be soaked for up to 12 hours.
More Soups & Stews You Will Love:
Black-Eyed Pea Stew
Creamy, slow simmered Black-Eyed Pea Stew with tender wilted collards, salty diced ham, and sweet brown sugar. A hearty, filling meal all year round.
Equipment
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Large Pot
- Ladle or Cooking Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried black eye peas
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 8 oz diced ham
- 1/2 yellow onion diced/about 1 cup
- 3-4 stalks celery thinly sliced/ about 1 cup
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp Cajun seasoning I used Slap Ya Mama
- 10-12 cups salted chicken broth
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 8-10 large collard leaves de-stemmed/ about 4 cups
- 2-3 tsp light brown sugar
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak Peas– Place dried black eyed peas in bowl and fill with water until at least an inch above peas. Leave uncovered in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours or overnight. Once ready to cook, drain & rinse peas and set aside.
- Cook Vegetables– In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced ham, diced onions, and sliced celery and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until ham is starting to brown and veggies are slightly tender. Stir in garlic and Cajun seasoning and cook 1 minute longer.
- Add Broth & Peas and Simmer– Pour in chicken broth, black eyed peas, bay leaf, and fresh thyme sprigs. Bring pot to a boil, cover with a lid, and turn heat down to medium-low. Simmer 60 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes. If beans start to look dry, turn heat down slightly and add a bit more broth.
- Add Greens & Finish– Uncover pot and mash a few black eyed peas with the back of a spoon. This will help thicken your stew. Pull the stem off of collard leaves, then use hands to break apart and shred collards to tenderize the leaves. You should have about 4 cups of tenderized leaves. Add collards, brown sugar, and white wine vinegar to pot, stir until well combined. Continue to simmer stew uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15-30 minutes longer until collards are tender and desired consistency is reached. The longer you let it go, the thicker it will get. Remove bay leaf & thyme sprigs, add salt and pepper if needed, and enjoy!
Notes
If fresh collards can’t be found, 1 cup of drained canned collards can be used. Stir in collards 5 minutes before taking the stew of the heat to warm through.
Dried black eyed peas need to be soaked for at least 6 hours to re-hydrate the peas. This drastically reduces the cooking time and makes them easier to digest. Peas can be soaked for up to 12 hours
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Made this recipe twice. 1st time exactly as written. I found the garlic and brown sugar to be overwhelming and really couldn’t taste the peas. 2nd time left garlic out, used only 1 tsp. Brown sugar, 1tsp. Apple cider vinegar. Didn’t add any salt, using the salted butter, low sodium chicken broth and the slap ya mama seasoning was salt enough. Turned out delicious. Is a good recipe, easily adapted to your own taste. Thank you for sharing
Yum! Just made this for New Years, best black eyed pea recipe I have found.
Thank you so much, Kristin!