Description
Southern comfort meets New Year’s tradition in this hearty black-eyed pea soup with sausage and collard greens. Warm spices and rich flavors create a soul-satisfying meal you’ll savor from the first comforting spoonful to the last delicious bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound (454 grams) dried black-eyed peas, soaked
- 2 pounds (907 grams) pork sausage links, cooked and sliced
- 4 bunches collard greens, washed and chopped
Liquid Ingredients:
- 2 small cartons chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Seasoning and Additional Ingredients:
- 1 large can Rotel tomatoes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare black-eyed peas by soaking them for 3-4 hours, then thoroughly drain and rinse under cool water to remove any excess starch.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high temperature, brown the pork sausage until crispy and golden, then slice into thin, bite-sized pieces.
- Transfer sausage pieces to a large slow cooker, layering them with soaked black-eyed peas, roughly chopped collard greens, and minced garlic.
- Pour chicken stock into the slow cooker, followed by Rotel tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, and a pinch of sugar to balance flavors.
- Add approximately 1 1/2 cups of water, ensuring ingredients are well-submerged but not overly liquid.
- Sprinkle salt, freshly ground black pepper, and optional hot sauce to enhance the overall taste profile.
- Cover and set slow cooker to low heat, allowing the soup to simmer and develop rich flavors for 8-10 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and adjust seasoning during the last hour of cooking, potentially adding more vinegar or spices for depth.
- Serve piping hot, accompanied by warm cornbread, creating a traditional Southern-style comfort meal perfect for New Year’s Day.
Notes
- Soak black-eyed peas thoroughly to reduce cooking time and improve digestibility, ensuring they’re fully hydrated before slow cooking.
- Choose lean sausage variants like turkey or chicken sausage for a lighter, healthier version of the traditional recipe.
- Experiment with vegetarian alternatives by replacing sausage with smoked tofu or additional vegetables like diced bell peppers for protein and flavor depth.
- Control sodium levels by using low-sodium chicken stock and monitoring salt additions during the cooking process to suit dietary restrictions.
- Prep Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours (or 10 hours)
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Southern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 255 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg