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Lucky New Years Black-Eyed Pea Soup: Easy 1-Pot Recipe

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This Lucky New Year’s Black-Eyed Pea Soup is a quick, easy, and delicious one-pot recipe perfect for New Year’s celebrations. Made with simple pantry staples like black-eyed peas, smoked ham hock, and aromatic vegetables, it delivers deep, slow-cooked flavor in under an hour.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb dried black-eyed peas (or 3 cans, drained and rinsed)
  • 1 large smoked ham hock (or 8 oz smoked turkey neck)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained (fire-roasted preferred)
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Optional garnishes: fresh parsley, hot sauce, sliced green onions

Instructions

  1. If using dried peas, soak them overnight in cold water (or do a quick soak: boil for 2 minutes, then let sit for 1 hour). Drain and rinse. If using canned peas, just drain and rinse.
  2. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, add about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté the onion, celery, and carrots for 6-8 minutes until softened and translucent.
  3. Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and smoked paprika. Stir constantly for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Nestle the ham hock into the pot, meaty side down. Add the soaked/drained peas and stir to coat.
  5. Pour in the undrained diced tomatoes and chicken broth. Add the bay leaves. Stir to combine. The liquid should just cover the peas and ham hock; add more broth or water if needed.
  6. Bring to a gentle boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer. For dried peas, simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour until tender. For canned peas, simmer 20-25 minutes.
  7. Carefully remove the ham hock with tongs and let it cool slightly. Shred the meat with two forks, discarding skin, bones, and large fat pieces. Return the shredded meat to the pot.
  8. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed.
  9. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley, green onions, and hot sauce if desired. Serve with crusty bread or cornbread.

Notes

Don’t skip the apple cider vinegar at the end—it brightens the flavors. Always wait to add salt until after the ham hock is shredded and tasted, as the ham hock is very salty. This soup tastes even better the next day. For a vegetarian version, skip the ham hock, use vegetable broth, and add extra smoked paprika and a few drops of liquid smoke.

Nutrition

Keywords: black-eyed pea soup, New Year's soup, lucky soup, ham hock soup, easy soup recipe, one-pot soup, comfort food, Southern soup

Find it online: https://sunnysavory.com/lucky-new-years-black-eyed-pea-soup-easy-1-pot-recipe/