Black Eyed Pea Soup with Sausage and Kale
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
Loaded with as much flavor as nutrition, this wholesome black eyed pea soup recipe is packed with healthy ingredients and is positively delicious! This Black Eyed Pea Soup with Sausage and Kale is so perfect to cozy up to on a cold night and is sure to become part of your regular rotation!
Call it want you like – an Italian-influenced Southern dish or a Southern-influenced Italian dish; either way, this black eyed peas soup is quick and easy to prepare and is deliciously satisfying!
Black eyed peas are one of my favorite legumes. Many other varieties seem to all blend together but black eyed peas have a very unique flavor all to their own. I love enjoying them in the summer in cool dishes like this Black Eyed Pea Salad or in the winter in the form of soups like today’s featured recipe and also this smoky Black Eyed Pea Soup with Ham.
For this soup we’re using kale but you can use can use any greens of your choice (e.g., collards, Swiss chard, mustard greens, beet greens, etc). I often rotate the greens I use according to what I have on hand in my garden. Kale over-winters well so it’s a natural choice for this time of year.
If you like hearty, flavorful soups (who doesn’t) we’re confident you’re going to love this soup as much as we do!
Black Eyed Pea Soup with Sausage Recipe
Let’s get started!
In a stock pot, brown the sausage until most of the pink is gone, then add the oil and onions. Cook until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Add the beans, tomatoes and seasonings.
Add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the black-eyed peas are soft but not mushy.
Your deliciously rich and flavorful broth is ready for the kale!
Add the chopped kale and simmer another 10 minutes.
Serve sprinkled with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!
For more delicious bean soups be sure to try my:
- Ham and Bean Soup
- Black Eyed Pea Soup
- Ham and Bean Soup
- White Bean Chili
- Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- French Lentil Soup
- Curried Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Chili
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address and we’ll send it straight to your inbox!
Black Eyed Pea Soup with Sausage and Kale
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried black-eyed peas , soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage (click link for best and easy homemade sausage recipe!)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion , finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 3 bay leaves
- 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bunch kale (or greens of choice, e.g., collards, Swiss chard, spinach, etc) , washed, tough stalks removed, chopped
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot, brown the sausage until most of the pink is gone. Add the olive oil and onions and cook until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add all remaining ingredients except for the kale. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the black-eyed peas are tender but not mushy. Add the kale and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.This soup tastes even better the next day and makes great leftovers!
Nutrition
First published on The Daring Gourmet January 15, 2015
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Skipping ahead a few years since your original post… We made this today and totally love it. Also appreciate the way your recipes can be easily adjusted for fewer or more servings. Very convenient!
Thats wonderful, Erin, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you! <3
How much is a bunch of kale?
Hi Dana, kale in the grocery store comes in a “bunch.” A bunch can vary in size and weight but something in the ballpark of 7 ounces is good. More or less is fine, it doesn’t have to be exact. Really it comes down to personal preference.
Hey Kimberly…Susan and I made this a few days ago and it was GREAT! I’ve eaten quite a lot of Black Eyed Peas, but never in a soup. Of course,I copied the recipe, and it’s in the soup section of our cookbook. This is a keeper for sure…Thanks for this great recipe.
Gary
That’s so great to hear, Gary, I’m thrilled that you and Susan enjoyed it, thanks so much! :)
Made this for this evening’s dinner. With the cold setting in and snowing outside in the PNW, the wife can’t say enough how much she enjoyed it.
Warms the soul.
Great soup Kimberly!
Thank you, Paul, I’m so glad you both enjoyed it! More snow coming tonight – stay safe and warm!
The polar vortex influencing this soup choice which will definitely be on the menu this week- has resulted in my morning being -35 C with a -48 wind chill. Coldest morning in quite some time and we are going to need some hearty soup.
Thanks for all the great recipes and writing.
D
Oh my goodness, Diana! YES, I hope you enjoy the hot, hearty soup and stay safe and warm!
I only made a couple of changes: First one, was nix on the Kale (because of my thyroid meds) and changed that to Spinach. The 2nd one I used Better than Bouillon Chicken Base and Hunts canned tomatoes because both a low sodium and have no MSG. The last change is I cooked this in my Power Pro XL Pressure Cooker and had soup in 20 mintues with the black eyes peas nice and tender and the spinach cooked just right which I added and cooked under a second pressure for 5 minutes. Yum!!!!! thanks so much for posting this recipe. It’s delicious and of course great with crusty french bread to dip with.
Awesome, Kathi, thanks so much for the feedback and the info about using the pressure cooker!
I made this before finding an actual recipe for it.
Mine began with a lg. Bunch of kale, Olive oil three chicken bouillon cubes a can of beer with Italian sausage cut up.
I cooked this for 10 mins over med heat then added 1 can of crushed tomatoes, 1 can of black eyed peas, garlic, onion, 2Tbs cumin, 2Tbs turmeric and 2-3 tspn cinnamon.
I let this summer for 30 mins.
So good on a cold March day!
I made this soup. It is absolutely delicious! The whole pot was eaten up within 20 minutes. I will definitely make this again!
Wonderful, thanks so much, Olga!
Just seeing this post from a year ago. This soup looks delicious!! Curious if spinach or collard greens can be substituted for the kale.
They sure can, Cindy, either will work perfectly!
Granola Girl made this last night. WOW! It is excellent! She used our homemade chicken sausage which is very low in fat. She also added a couple finely chopped anchovies, as well as some red wine. The broth reminded me of the cioppino base at Cioppino’s in San Francisco. This is such a savory dish. I even had it for breakfast this morning! Another great recipe.
Nice touches, Ozark Hillbilly, and I’m thrilled you both enjoyed it, thank you!
Can I use canned Peas? Don’t have over night time.
Yes, just add them in during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
The picture looks as though black beans have been added. What could the back be that I see in the pic? I am looking forward to making this soup exactly as stated in the recipe!
Hi Polly, no, there are no black beans in the pictures. Black-eyed peas are white with large black spots on them, so that’s probably what you’re seeing.
I’m not a big soup eater, but this one sounds like it’s well worth trying. It would definitely give me a chance to have black-eyed peas again – haven’t had them in years.
I don’t cook with black-eyed peas very often either, Susan. And I’m not sure why that is, because they’re one of my most favorite beans. With the large stash I have on hand that needs to be used, I now have an excuse to make more meals with them :)