Black-Eyed Peas and Bacon Soup (Print Version)

Tender black-eyed peas, crisp bacon, and vegetables in a smoky broth.

# What You'll 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 Steps:

01 - Cook diced bacon in a large soup pot over medium heat until crisp, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve, leaving rendered fat in the pot.
02 - Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté in bacon fat until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in black-eyed peas, chicken broth, bay leaf, thyme, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Bring mixture to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 30 to 35 minutes for soaked dried peas or 20 minutes for canned peas, until peas are tender and flavors have melded.
05 - Remove bay leaf from soup. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top with reserved bacon pieces and chopped fresh parsley before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The bacon renders its fat right into the base, so every spoonful tastes intentional and savory without feeling indulgent.
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like you've been stirring it all day, which feels like kitchen magic.
  • Works with dried peas or canned—no judgment, just honest cooking that adapts to what you have.
02 -
  • Don't skip the overnight soak for dried peas unless you're truly desperate—they'll cook more evenly and won't have that hard center that ruins a spoonful.
  • The bacon fat is not a mistake or something to drain away; it's the entire foundation, so don't be shy about it.
03 -
  • If you forget to soak dried peas, quick-soak them by bringing them to a boil for two minutes, then letting them sit covered for an hour—it's not as good as overnight, but it works.
  • Taste the soup five minutes before you think it's done, because the last adjustments are where most home cooks stumble—salt needs to be deliberate, not an afterthought.
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