Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Dumplings (Print Version)

Hearty Southern stew with black-eyed peas, smoked sausage, and fluffy cornmeal buttermilk dumplings for ultimate comfort.

# 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 Steps:

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, garlic, celery, carrot, and bell pepper to the pot. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until vegetables soften.
03 - Pour in chicken broth and stir in black-eyed peas, thyme, smoked paprika, black pepper, cayenne if using, bay leaf, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.
04 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in melted butter and buttermilk until just combined without overmixing.
05 - Remove the bay leaf from the stew. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
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 while dumplings steam.
07 - Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • One pot holds everything, which means less cleanup and more time enjoying what you've made.
  • The dumplings get impossibly fluffy while the stew below stays deeply savory and satisfying.
  • It feels fancy enough for guests but humble enough for a Tuesday night when you need something real.
02 -
  • Do not lift the lid while the dumplings are steaming, as tempting as it is—the dumplings need that trapped heat and moisture to rise properly, and even a quick peek lets that precious steam escape.
  • The dumpling batter should be thick but not stiff; if it's too thick it won't drop easily, and if it's too thin the dumplings will dissolve into the broth instead of staying intact.
03 -
  • Brown the sausage in batches if your pot is small, rather than crowding it, because overcrowded meat steams instead of browning, and browning is where all the flavor lives.
  • Keep your buttermilk at room temperature before mixing the dumplings—cold buttermilk reacts differently with the baking soda and can throw off your rise.
Go Back