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Lucky Black-Eyed Pea & Collard Greens Soup: Easy New Year’s Recipe

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This Lucky Black-Eyed Pea & Collard Greens Soup is a hearty, smoky, and comforting one-pot meal perfect for New Year’s Day. Made with simple pantry ingredients, it’s quick to prepare and packed with flavor, making it a crowd-pleasing tradition.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1.5 cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 cup dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked over
  • 1 bunch collard greens, stems removed and leaves chopped into bite-sized pieces (about 4–5 cups chopped)
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • Red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)
  • Hot sauce, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prep your ingredients first. Dice the onion, celery, and carrots into roughly the same size pieces—about 1/4 inch. Mince the garlic. Remove the tough stems from the collard greens by folding each leaf in half and slicing along the stem, then stack the leaves and chop them into 1-inch ribbons. Rinse the black-eyed peas in a colander and pick out any tiny stones or shriveled peas.
  2. Sauté the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in your large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Bloom the spices. Stir in the smoked paprika, dried thyme, black pepper, and cayenne (if using). Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  4. Add the liquids and peas. Pour in the vegetable broth, water, and the can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes (with their juices). Add the rinsed black-eyed peas and the bay leaf. Stir everything together, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat.
  5. Simmer the soup. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and let it simmer gently for 35-40 minutes. The black-eyed peas should be tender but not falling apart. Check them at the 30-minute mark.
  6. Add the collard greens. When the peas are tender, stir in the chopped collard greens. Cover the pot again and let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes, until the greens are tender but still have a little texture.
  7. Finish with vinegar. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste the soup and add more salt if needed.
  8. Serve it up. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot. Top with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce if desired.

Notes

This soup gets better after a day in the fridge. Make it ahead for New Year’s Day. For a meaty version, cook bacon or ham hock before sautéing vegetables. For a slow cooker version, sauté vegetables first, then transfer everything except collard greens to slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours; add greens during last 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Keywords: black-eyed pea soup, collard greens soup, New Year's recipe, lucky soup, vegan soup, gluten-free soup, one-pot meal

Find it online: https://evadinnerideas.com/lucky-black-eyed-pea-and-collard-greens-soup-easy-new-years-recipe/