Black-Eyed Peas and Bacon (Print Version)

Tender black-eyed peas and crisp bacon create a smoky, comforting bowl perfect for cold days.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 8 ounces smoked bacon, diced

→ Legumes

02 - 2 cups dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and drained, or 3 cans (15 ounces 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 - In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until crisp, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving 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 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 to a boil over medium-high heat.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover, 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 bay leaf. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with reserved bacon and chopped parsley before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The bacon fat does all the heavy lifting, building a savory foundation that makes even simple peas taste like they've been cooking for days.
  • It comes together in under an hour, which means you can have something genuinely comforting on the table on a weeknight without much fuss.
02 -
  • Don't skip soaking the dried peas overnight if you're using them, because it cuts the cooking time significantly and prevents the soup from tasting grainy or mealy.
  • The bay leaf must come out before serving, and I learned this the hard way when a guest nearly broke a tooth, so don't just tell yourself you'll remember it.
03 -
  • If you're using canned peas instead of dried, add them in the last few minutes so they don't break down into mush, keeping that tender whole texture.
  • Taste and adjust salt at the very end because broth brands vary so much, and what tastes perfect to you might be oversalted straight from the label.
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