Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Soup (Printable)

Warming soup with Italian sausage, black-eyed peas, and vegetables simmered in savory broth.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
07 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes with juices

→ Legumes

08 - 2 cans (14 ounces each) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

→ Broth & Liquids

09 - 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Herbs & Spices

10 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Finishing

15 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish
16 - Grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

# Steps:

01 - In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, crumble and brown the Italian sausage until cooked through, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
02 - Add the onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
03 - Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices, black-eyed peas, chicken broth, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes if using. Mix thoroughly.
04 - Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf from the pot.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's ready in under an hour: Most of the time is hands-off simmering while you do other things.
  • One pot means minimal cleanup: Everything builds in the same pot, which feels like a small victory on busy nights.
  • Naturally gluten-free and adaptable: Swap the sausage or broth and it works just as well for dietary needs.
  • Tastes even better the next day: The flavors deepen overnight, making it perfect for meal prep.
02 -
  • Never skip draining and rinsing the canned peas: I learned this the hard way when I didn't rinse once and the soup tasted weirdly metallic and overly salty—a few seconds of effort saves the whole pot.
  • The vegetables soften more than you'd expect: By the time the soup is done, the carrots and celery pieces will be quite tender, almost melting into the broth, which is exactly what you want.
  • Low sodium broth is non-negotiable: Since the sausage and tomatoes already contribute salt, regular broth will make the final soup unpleasantly salty no matter how careful you are.
03 -
  • Don't drain the sausage fat completely: A light coating left in the pot adds richness; just remove the excess if there's more than a thin film.
  • Taste as you go near the end: Seasoning at the very end gives you control because the soup concentrates slightly as it simmers, and what tasted right earlier might be too salty now.
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