This collards and black-eyed peas soup is spicy, smoky, vegan, and low-fat. Make it quickly in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker!
I’ve had a package of pre-washed, pre-chopped collard greens in the fridge for a few days, and I was hoping to do something different with them. But as time went on and no new recipes came to mind, I started to get afraid that they’d go bad; at the very least, they were losing nutrients every day that they sat there (everything’s always more nutritious closer to harvest.)
So in the end, I took an old favorite soup, Lorna Sass’ Collards and Black-eyed Pea Soup, and gave it the Louisiana treatment: green bell peppers, diced tomatoes, creole-type seasonings, and loads of spiciness.
And since I love smokiness, I kind of went wild with three different smoky seasonings–chipotle powder, fire-roasted tomatoes, and smoked paprika–and my husband and I loved the results. I know that not everyone is the smoke addict that I am, so if you like spicy but not smoky, just substitute regular chili powder, regular diced tomatoes, and regular paprika.
If you’re making this for New Year’s Day, note that it covers both of the “lucky traditions”: black-eyed peas and greens. It’s a one-pot healthy start to the new year!
Spicy Collards and Black-eyed Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 2 onions diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 1 cup diced green bell pepper
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups dried black-eyed peas picked over and rinsed
- 6 cups water
- 1 pound collard greens tough stems removed and greens chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme (divided)
- 1 teaspoon oregano (divided)
- 1 16- ounce can tomatoes (fire-roasted preferred)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper (to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
- 1 -2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon double strength tomato paste (or 2 tbsp. regular)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- additional water (or vegetable broth), as needed
Instructions
Pressure Cooker Instructions
- Heat a pressure cooker or turn on the Saute setting on the Instant Pot and add the onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until they begin to brown. Add the celery, green pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 3 more minutes.
- Add the black-eyed peas, water, 1 teaspoon of the thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano. Seal the cooker and cook for 10 minutes after it reaches high pressure (set the Instant Pot for 10 minutes at high pressure. Use a quick-release method to bring down the pressure.
- Check the beans, and if they are not tender, return the pot to pressure. If they were very hard, cook at high pressure for 5 minutes; if they were just slightly hard, cook at high pressure for 2 minutes. Allow the pressure to come down naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure. Repeat this process if beans are still very hard.
- Once the peas are tender, add the reserved herbs and all remaining ingredients and simmer on low for at least 25 minutes to allow flavors to develop. If the soup is too thick, add up to two cups water or vegetable broth until it's the consistency of soup. (Electric pressure cooker users, use the Sauté setting and adjust the heat to low if possible, or use Keep Warm.) Serve with brown rice with additional hot sauce. (Garnishing with fresh oregano is optional.)
Regular Stove-top Cooking
- Heat a large pot and add the onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until they begin to brown. Add the celery, green pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 3 more minutes.
- Add the black-eyed peas, water, 1 teaspoon of the thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until peas are tender, about 45-55 minutes.
- Once the peas are tender, add the reserved herbs and all remaining ingredients and simmer on low for at least 25 minutes to allow flavors to develop. If the soup is too thick, add up to two cups water or vegetable broth until it's the consistency of soup. Serve with brown rice with additional hot sauce. (Garnishing with fresh oregano is optional.)
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Please share:
Original photo from 2008
Tom
December 29, 2009 at 2:22 pmI did this recipe but made it in a crockpot overnight – it turned out great.
Renee
December 26, 2019 at 12:05 pmHow long and what temp in the crockpot? I am going skiing all day on New Years but would love to have this ready when we get back!
jill
January 10, 2010 at 7:24 pmSusan,
I accidentally bought le cabanon thinking it was just double strength tomato paste. I noticed that it is 68% hot chilis….do you know what this is or if it would work in this recipe?.BTW, I am cooking paella right now and did split pea earlier today. I ama full time student and and single momandyou recipes freeze well! We eat them throughout the wee, thanks!
Jill
Mrs. Harris
February 2, 2010 at 6:25 pmI made this soup last week for my husband and my siblings. Everyone loved it! Halfway through dinner, my sister-in-law says,"So these are collards? Not bad." It never occurred to us that being from MI she had never eaten collards!
Julie
June 8, 2010 at 7:46 pmI made this tonight, and it came out great. Very spicy and flavorful!
Anna Down Under
September 28, 2010 at 7:33 amI’ve made this several times and it’s wonderful! Though black eyed peas are harder to find in Australia, and I can not find collard greens at all so I use what Aussie’s call Silverbeet (Swiss Chard) instead. Still, it’s fantastic!
Arthur
October 15, 2010 at 7:48 pmSusan, I can’t get over how great your recipes are! I’m from the Mobile, Alabama area, and I make your Cajun/Creole recipes several times a month.
SusanV
October 15, 2010 at 9:25 pmHi Arthur! My parents are from Alabama (War Eagle!), so I’m glad to know that someone from Mobile enjoys my recipes. Thanks for commenting!
Margo
November 3, 2010 at 6:49 amGreat! I’m from Mobile too and stumbled upon your site as I was looking for recipes to fit into my new vegan diet(courtesy of Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes) and I must say that so far I don’t miss meat at all! Now if I can just get the die-hard southern meat-eaters in my family to do the same 🙂
Jasmin
November 22, 2010 at 1:43 pmI loved this recipe I made it last new years and I am going to make it again this thanksgiving and I did as tom and made it an a crockpot as well !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love the website
MIA
November 25, 2010 at 12:49 pmAlthough to my nose this soup didn’t smell as good as some others it tastes great. I used regular paprika so I did all chipotle instead of hot sauce & cayenne and added a couple dashes of chili powder. I also used 2 14oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes and kale because thats what looked best at WF. I will def make this again 🙂
MIA
November 25, 2010 at 12:50 pmI forgot to mention I also threw in about a cup/cup and a half of cooked quinoa I had in the fridge & it is great in there!!
Marjorie
January 1, 2011 at 6:55 pmThank you for this delicious recipe. I made this soup for a group of friends for a festive meal. The soup got rave reviews! I did not add the chipotle pepper, and it was hot enough for everyone, but not too hot!
My first attempt at cooking black-eyed peas, too. Very successful.
Thanks again.
SusanV
January 1, 2011 at 7:21 pmExcellent! Glad to hear it!
Bailey Loves Your Soup
January 2, 2011 at 10:54 pmMy vegan best friend’s mother made this for a bunch on New Year’s Eve, for luck in the new year, and just so you know, I’ve never had a soup that I liked so much- and I dislike collard greens, even if I am from Tennessee. Thanks so great for this recipe- after tasted it, I considered becoming vegan! It was wonderful.
bethanne
January 17, 2011 at 2:05 pmI am in the same boat as you with the bagged greens. Plus I have a boatload of leftover black eyed peas. This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!!
Deb
February 8, 2011 at 11:22 pmJust made this tonight and its so excellent! I had made Lorna Sass’s version a few times before, but as I live in New Orleans now it was about time to kick it up a notch!
Oh yeah, and I finally got a pressure cooker this year! Vegan + grad student + pressure cooker = <3
Treathyl FOX
February 23, 2011 at 5:31 pmI was looking for a more recent post. But I couldn’t pass up a collard greens and black-eye-pea recipe. Just reading the recipe has my mouth watering.
Shirley @ gfe
August 20, 2011 at 7:40 amJust found this recipe from Lydia’s roundup on Soup Chick. It looks delicious–thanks! 🙂
Shirley
Janet
September 3, 2011 at 11:10 amI’m thinking of making this recipe. I just got a batch of crowder peas (never had those before, but am very familiar with black eyed peas–these seem similar). My peas are fresh, not dried. What would you change in the recipe? Just reduce the water to a couple of cups? I appreciate you and your website so very much. You have made our switch to being almost no fat/plant eaters possible! Thanks!
SusanV
September 3, 2011 at 11:24 amFresh peas are the best! I would use 3 cups, if you have them, and start the water at 3-4 cups and add more as needed. Hope you enjoy it!
Janet
September 7, 2011 at 2:19 pmAh, just finished eating our crowder peas and mustard greens, and they were YUMMMY! Great recipe. Thanks so much. This was my first time to ever eat mustard greens–been afraid of them–very good. I couldn’t believe all that bunch would go in the pan, but it did, and didn’t really seem like too much. I need the calcium and iron, so it has been my goal to add greens to my diet.
Julie & Marty
September 18, 2011 at 8:02 pmThis is a very hearty soup! I enjoyed the flavors and can’t wait to taste the leftovers. I believe it will taste even better tomorrow. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, this takes along time to make! I boiled my peas for along time before they finally got tender. I used only half the hot sauce, but I did not find this soup too spicy at all. Great over rice.
Alexandria Lewis
December 19, 2011 at 5:55 amDinner tonight 🙂 thank you very much!
KBeane
December 30, 2011 at 3:22 pmHello,
If you are using a regular pot or slow cooker, do you have to soak the beans first? I have only used canned black eyed peas, and assumed dried would need to be soaked for several hours first.
Looks great!
Susan Voisin
December 30, 2011 at 3:29 pmNo need to soak them since they’re so small. You can if you want, but it only cuts down the cooking time a little.
Suzanne
January 1, 2012 at 3:45 pmJust made this today for our New Years meal. It’s “religion in a bowl”! I feel just a little closer to my roots. Thank you Susan! Happy New Years to you and your family!
Carol U
January 1, 2012 at 9:43 pmMade this for New Year’s Day. It was so excellent. I did soak the beans overnight just because I knew I would not have a lot of extra time if the beans weren’t done yet.
All of us really loved this so very much. Thanks for teh great recipe
Pam
January 10, 2012 at 5:58 pmLoved this soup, so did DH! The heat and smokiness made the broth exquisite. Thanks!
Nathan
January 15, 2012 at 7:23 pmMade this last night for dinner (and had it again today for lunch). Had to sub frozen collard greens, but it was still amazing. Thank you.
(dark) Photo: http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxv94xXhA01qcincoo1_500.png
Mindy
January 31, 2012 at 6:18 pmLorna Sass plus Susan V = awesome. Lorna’s pressure cooker book was one of the first [mostly] vegan books I got from the library and it helped turn me vegan. I have this soup bubbling in my PC right now! I can’t wait. I know it’s going to be fantastic.
Libby
March 11, 2012 at 5:09 pmThis is just fabulous. Thanks for another wonderful recipe! I used all the spices, even a bit of extra chipotle and smoked paprika and the spice level was just right – hot enough to notice, but not so hot that you can’t eat the whole bowl. It’s great on brown rice, or over a baked sweet potato.
Anna
November 10, 2012 at 10:51 amThis is exactly what I was looking for, can’t wait to make it!
Lisa R
December 31, 2012 at 2:27 pmThis recipe was FANTASTIC!!!!! It has just the right amount of heat ( didn’t even need to add the hot sauce), and the smokiness of the chipotle peppers makes this recipe perfect and delicious. Thank you for making my stomach happy this new year! 😉
Plia
January 1, 2013 at 12:41 pmI realized I don’t have any fresh greens. Would frozen chopped spinach be a good substitute?
Susan Voisin
January 1, 2013 at 12:46 pmSounds good to me. 🙂
Sue S
January 15, 2013 at 5:22 amHave to make this for supper tonight. Comfort foods. Yum.
Courtenay
March 19, 2013 at 7:51 pmI want to thank you for the many delish meals we’ve had, inspired by your recipes. On this chilly evening we warmed up with Spicy Collards. Yum. We changed our diet about four years ago when my honey was diagnosed with serious heart disease. Found Dr. Esselstyn’s book on revearsing heart disease, along with Ornish and Campbell, and found you! Have to say that I don’t know if we could stick to this path without fellow travelers who create really good recipes with depth and complexity. Thanks!
Sarah
September 24, 2013 at 6:51 pmIf I want to make this in the crockpot, do you recommend waiting to add the greens, or should I still add them with everything else? I will be making this overnight.
Thanks, love your site!
Susan Voisin
September 24, 2013 at 8:10 pmI think I’d add them later. Hope you enjoy it!
mmulz
January 1, 2014 at 5:19 pmi cannot get recipes in my recipe box even though i have subscribed made this recipe and enjoyed it very much. Help Please!!
Chelsey Williams
January 1, 2014 at 7:39 pmHi there!
New to your site! Made this today. I tweaked it and made it my own, but used your recipe as a guide. It is delicious!!!!
Thank you so much
Happy new year
Xo