Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage (Printable Version)

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

# Needed Ingredients:

→ 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 - ½ 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)

# Steps:

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 necessary.
02 - Add the onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables begin 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.
05 - Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • The sausage does most of the flavor work, so you can actually relax while it simmers.
  • It's one of those soups that feels different every time you make it, depending on what you add or how long you let it cook.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned black-eyed peas; that starchy liquid makes the soup gummy if you leave it in.
  • The soup gets better the next day as flavors meld, so make it ahead if you can and reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth if it's gotten too thick.
03 -
  • Brown your sausage long enough that it gets little crispy bits at the bottom of the pot—that fond is flavor concentrated, and when you add the vegetables they'll scrape it up and distribute it through the whole soup.
  • Taste as you go near the end of cooking; twenty minutes is a guideline, but if your black-eyed peas were old and hard, they might need a few minutes longer to soften completely.
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