Name: Black Eyed Pea Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 medium onion, diced; 1 medium carrot, diced; 2-3 celery stalks, diced; 1 medium green bell pepper, diced; 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 tablespoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon mild chili powder; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) crushed tomatoes; 2 cans (14 oz / 400 g) black eyed peas, drained and rinsed; 4 cups (1 litre) vegetable stock; 2 cups (75 g) collard greens, sliced; Salt and pepper to taste

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This black eyed pea soup is warming, refreshing and super easy to make! It's just the perfect one-pot meal to cook when you want to up your protein and fiber intake.

They say black eyed pea soup will bring you luck in the New Year and even if you don't believe in this tradition, you can be sure this is a soup that will help you start the year on the right foot!

That's because this is a simple, delicious and super healthy soup that you can whip up with a handful of staple ingredients.

It's an excellent dish to kickstart your healthy eating habits because it's loaded with veggies, protein and fiber for a complete and balanced meal.

This is a slightly spicy black eyed pea soup because I add some red chili flakes to give it a bit of a kick.

You can easily make it fiery by adjusting the red chili flakes or using a medium or hot chili powder instead of a mild one.

Why you'll love this black eyed pea soup

It has a richly flavored, slightly spicy broth.
Leftovers taste amazing so the soup is great for meal prep.
You can easily make it your own by adding any veggies you like.

Ingredients and substitutions

Olive oil - You need a bit of extra virgin olive oil to saute the veggies in. This sets up an excellent flavor base for this smoky black eyed soup.

If you prefer not to cook with oil, you can saute the veggies in some vegetable broth instead.

Onion, carrot and celery - These veggies create the flavor base of the soup. I like to dice them smaller so they cook quickly.

Bell pepper - Use any color bell pepper you like in this soup.

Garlic - Freshly minced or chopped garlic is best in this soup.

Red chili flakes - Only add red chili flakes if you want your soup to have a bit of a kick.

Dried herbs - I used a mix of dried oregano and dried basil, but you can also add some dried thyme or use an Italian seasoning mix instead.

Smoked paprika - A tablespoon of smoked paprika adds lots of smoky flavor to the soup. If you don't want that, use regular paprika instead.

Mild chili powder - I use mild chili powder in this soup because it already has red chili flakes but if you want it fiery, use the medium or hot version.

Tomato paste + crushed tomatoes - This combination gives the best tomatoe-y flavor to the soup.

Black eyed peas - Canned black eyed peas are perfect for convenience, but you can also make the soup with peas that you have previously cooked from dried.

Collard greens - Add some roughly chopped collard greens at the end for extra vitamins and brightness. If you're not a fan, use kale or baby spinach instead.

How to make vegan black eyed pea soup

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven and saute the onion, carrot, celery and bell pepper for 6-7 minutes over medium heat until softened.

Stir in the garlic, red chili flakes, oregano, basil, smoked paprika and chili powder and continue to cook for another minute.

Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, black eyed peas and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in the collard greens and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.

Season to taste and serve with cornbread or your favorite crusty bread.

Leftovers and storage

This black eyed pea soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors have more time to develop.
Store in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container and reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.
The soup freezes well for up to 3-4 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat it when you're ready to serve it.

Recipe notes and tips

If you want to make this soup with dried black eyed peas, allow them to soak overnight, then simmer them for about 1 hour until tender. Half a pound (250 g) dried beans will result in about 3-4 cups (500 g) of cooked beans.
Take out some of the beans and puree them after cooking to obtain a thicker consistency for the soup.
This soup pairs great with cornbread or your favorite crusty bread.

If you liked this black eyed pea soup recipe, you might also like some of my other easy vegan soup recipes:

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Yield: 6