Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Soup (Print Version)

Warming soup with Italian sausage, black-eyed peas, and vegetables in savory broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
07 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, with juices

→ Legumes

08 - 2 cans (14 oz each) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

→ Broth & Liquids

09 - 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Herbs & Spices

10 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Finishing

15 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish
16 - Grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

# How to Prepare:

01 - In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, crumble and brown the Italian sausage until cooked through, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
02 - Add the onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables are beginning to soften.
03 - Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices, black-eyed peas, chicken broth, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes if using. Mix well to combine all ingredients.
04 - Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.
05 - Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped parsley and, if desired, grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour, yet tastes like you've been tending to it all day.
  • The blend of Italian sausage with Southern black-eyed peas creates a flavor story that shouldn't work but absolutely does.
  • One pot means minimal cleanup, leaving you more time to actually enjoy your meal and your evening.
02 -
  • Don't skip the browning step with the sausage; that caramelization is where serious flavor lives, and it takes less than ten minutes.
  • If your soup tastes flat or dull at the end, it usually needs more seasoning or a squeeze of brightness from salt and black pepper added right before serving.
03 -
  • If you prefer a thicker soup, mash roughly a third of the black-eyed peas against the side of the pot before serving; it creates body without making the soup gummy.
  • Always taste the soup before adding the final seasoning, because the sausage and broth already contain salt, and oversalting at the end is hard to undo.
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