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Easy Lucky New Year Black-Eyed Pea & Collard Greens Soup

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A quick and soulful soup made with black-eyed peas, collard greens, and smoked turkey, perfect for New Year’s traditions or a cozy weeknight dinner. This recipe comes together in under an hour and is packed with flavor and good luck.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1.5 cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 pound smoked turkey wings or drumsticks
  • 2 cups dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and sorted
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 large bunch collard greens (about 1 pound), stems removed and leaves chopped into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Cooked white rice for serving (optional)
  • Hot sauce for serving
  • Chopped green onions for serving
  • Cornbread for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prep your ingredients first. Dice the onion, celery, and carrots into similar-sized pieces—about 1/2 inch. Mince the garlic. Remove the collard green stems by folding each leaf in half and slicing along the stem, then stack the leaves and cut them into 2-inch strips. Rinse the black-eyed peas in a colander and pick out any small stones or shriveled peas.
  2. Heat the olive oil in your Dutch oven over medium heat. Once it shimmers (about 2 minutes), add the diced onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the carrots start to soften.
  3. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
  4. Add the smoked turkey pieces to the pot. Let them brown for about 3-4 minutes per side to get that smoky flavor into the oil.
  5. Pour in the chicken broth and add the rinsed black-eyed peas, smoked paprika, cayenne, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt. Stir everything together, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  6. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 35 minutes. The peas should be tender but not mushy.
  7. Remove the smoked turkey pieces carefully with tongs and set them on a cutting board. Let them cool for about 5 minutes, then shred the meat off the bones, discarding the skin and bones.
  8. Add the collard greens to the pot in handfuls, stirring them in as they wilt. This takes about 2-3 minutes. Once all the greens are in, return the shredded turkey meat to the pot. Let everything simmer together for another 10 minutes.
  9. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. Remove the bay leaf.
  10. Serve hot over a scoop of white rice if desired, with a dash of hot sauce and a sprinkle of green onions.

Notes

This soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld. For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth and 1 teaspoon liquid smoke. If using canned black-eyed peas, add them in the last 15 minutes of cooking. To thicken the soup, mash some of the peas against the pot or let it simmer uncovered.

Nutrition

Keywords: black-eyed peas, collard greens, New Year's soup, lucky soup, Southern soup, comfort food, easy soup recipe

Find it online: https://cookluma.com/easy-lucky-new-year-black-eyed-pea-and-collard-greens-soup/