Black Eyed Pea Soup With Collard Greens

Black-eyed pea soup with collard greens is fresh, light, and nutritious. With a satisfying meaty bean flavor paired together with extra virgin olive oil, tomato, and lemon.

Black-eyed peas and collard greens are a classic food pairing. The sweetness of the collard greens goes so well with the meaty, earthy flavor of the beans. It's a very filling, meatless legume soup and a healthy weeknight meal to serve the family or yourself.

Table Of Contents

• Is It Peas Or Beans?
• Canned Or Dry?
• How To Cook Black Eyed Peas
• Additional Ingredients
• Storing
• Sides To Serve With
• Recipe

Is It Peas Or Beans?

Black eyed peas are in fact, a type of bean. Technically a pea falls under the category of the bean family. So both terms are correct. Black-eyed peas/beans, come from a long green bean that grows during summer. In Greece, we boil them and serve them as a warm salad with olive oil and lemon. The older beans we tear open and remove from inside the black-eyed peas which can be left to dry, eaten raw, or boiled.

Canned Or Dry?

First things first, let's talk about which type of beans we need to make this soup. And let me start by saying that there isn't a Greek soup using canned legumes. In Greece, it's always dried legumes. Soaked overnight, and then cooked the next day.

So yes, in this recipe we use dry black-eyed peas. The flavor is stronger, and all the minerals and nutrients from the beans go into the soup while you cook it. Instead of being left in the can liquid which is not very satisfying if you add it to the soup!

How To Cook Black Eyed Peas

To cook dry black-eyed peas you need to soak them in water for a couple of hours. Unlike other legumes, like chickpeas for example, you can get away with 2-3 hours of soaking instead of leaving them to soak overnight.

Black-eyed peas cook faster and much easier than other beans. Unless you buy an old batch of beans with hard skins. In that case, even overnight soaking may not help. That's why it's important to read the expiring dates on legume packages. The further away it is, the fresher the legumes are. So, here's how to cook Black-eyed peas...

• Soak in cold water for 2-3 hours or overnight (at room temperature) add also a sprinkle of salt which helps to soften the skins
• Bring to a boil and drain. Boil the black-eyed peas for 5 minutes and then discard the water. Most of the dark black color the peas release will go away this way. But also the dirt and pesticides that cause gassy digestion
• Don't rinse with water. Rinsing hot beans with cold water will make the skins crack and peel, therefore, turn the soup mushy (unless that's what you want)
• Add back to the pot with boiling hot water
• Simmer covered over medium heat (if your stove is too strong, cook at medium-low) a gentle simmer with plenty of steam created inside, helps to soften legumes quickly and evenly
• Add remaining ingredients. After the beans are cooked you add the remaining ingredients (sauteeing them separately in a pan first). Cook everything together for a couple of minutes to flavor and thicken the black-eyed bean soup

Can I Add Other Greens Instead?

Like most beans, you can pair black-eyed beans with any other greens you prefer. For instance, you can cook black-eyed peas and spinach, or black-eyed peas and kale. Cooking them the same way as you do the collard greens.

Additional Ingredients

There are a few additional ingredients you can add to this black eyed peas and greens recipe.

MEAT: Greek sausage, Pancetta (pork belly slices), Ham, Bacon. Dice and saute in a non-stick frying pan, serve as a garnish on top of the soup.

VEGETARIAN + VEGAN: Mushrooms (saute together with the onion and garlic). Grated Parmesan, Pecorino, or dried Myzithra cheese (mix in 5 minutes before taking the soup off the heat). Crumbled Feta cheese and Garlic Croutons to serve with.

Storing

Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days or place in airtight food containers in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

Sides To Serve With

My suggestions for side dishes to serve with collards and black eyed peas soup are Spetsofai (Greek sausage and peppers), Keftedakia (fried meatballs), Fried Feta Saganaki, Grilled squid, Feta Bread Rolls, and Smoked Ham.

Recipe