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Slow Cooker Black-Eyed Pea Soup
Earthy, smoky, and deeply comforting, this slow-cooker soup transforms humble ingredients into a rich meal. You'll build incredible flavor by simmering dried black-eyed peas, smoked ham hocks, and fresh collard greens low and slow until everything is melt-in-your-mouth tender. Stirring in precooked white rice at the very end turns the broth into a hearty, complete bowl. A pinch of cayenne and fresh thyme add just the right amount of warmth to finish it off.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cups chopped yellow onion (from 1 large onion)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (1 Tbsp.)
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 lb. smoked ham hocks
- 1 lb. dried black-eyed peas
- 10 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups chopped stemmed collard greens (from 1 [8-oz.] bunch)
- ¾ cup chopped celery (from 3 small celery stalks)
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 (8½-oz.) pkg. precooked microwavable white rice
- 1½ Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
- ¾ tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
Instructions
- 1Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until it becomes translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes. Sweating the onions first builds a sweeter, more complex base flavor than adding them raw to the slow cooker.
- 2Stir in the minced garlic and ground cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Blooming the cumin in the hot oil unlocks its deep, earthy notes. Transfer the cooked aromatics to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- 3Add the smoked ham hocks, dried black-eyed peas, chicken broth, chopped collard greens, celery, and dried bay leaves to the slow cooker.
- 4Cover and cook until the ham hocks and peas are very tender. This takes about 4 hours on the high setting or 7 to 8 hours on the low setting.
- 5Carefully remove and discard the bay leaves. Use tongs to transfer the ham hocks to a cutting board and let them rest for about 5 minutes until they're cool enough to handle. Letting them rest slightly prevents you from burning your fingers while shredding.
- 6Discard the bones and skin from the ham hocks. Shred the remaining meat into bite-size pieces and return it to the slow cooker, stirring well to combine.
- 7Stir in the precooked white rice and let it heat through for about 1 minute. Season the soup with the fresh thyme, black pepper, kosher salt, and cayenne pepper before ladling into bowls.
Notes
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavors deepen even more the next day.
- Make ahead: You can chop the onions, celery, and collard greens a day in advance and store them in the fridge to save prep time.
- Swap: If you can't find smoked ham hocks, a smoked turkey leg or diced smoked sausage works beautifully.