The BEST Black-Eyed Peas New Year's Recipe

This Black-Eyed Peas New Year's recipe is flavored with bacon, garlic, and thyme, for a savory, delicious soup that's said to bring luck and prosperity when eaten on New Year's Day!

Black Eyed Peas New Years with text overlay.

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January 1st is right around the corner, and in these parts, that means two things: New Year's resolutions and black-eyed peas! So why not combine the two in one scrumptious recipe? Say hello to the BEST Black-Eyed Peas New Year's recipe!

Black-Eyed Peas, New Year's Luck

In the south (and perhaps beyond? Please enlighten me!), eating a black-eyed peas recipe on New Year's Day supposedly brings you luck and prosperity in the coming year.

Now I'm not particularly superstitious, but I do love associating food with tradition and specific holidays, so I've been whipping up a pot of these amazingly delicious Black-Eyed Peas for New Year's for a number of years now.

However, I have a little confession. I don't actually like black-eyed peas. In fact, I've always kind of thought they taste like dirt (or what I would imagine dirt to taste like, since I don't eat dirt on a regular basis).

At least that was the case until this Black-Eyed Peas New Year's recipe entered my life!

Close-up of Black Eyed Peas New Years.

Ingredients

You see, when you cook otherwise-unexciting black-eyed peas with generous amounts of extremely flavorful ingredients, the legumes (they aren't actually peas, you see) soak up all of those flavors and transform into a bowl of goodness that black-eyed pea aficionados and haters alike would be enthusiastic to eat...not only on New Year's Day, but all year long!

So what does it take to make this recipe?

Labeled ingredients to make Black Eyed Peas New Years recipe.
  • Bacon. We already know that bacon could make just about anything taste good. So in my book, its use in this recipe is what elevates humble black-eyed peas from tolerable to outstanding.
  • Garlic. Again, a flavor powerhouse...and one that helps give this New Year's Black-Eyed Peas recipe such amazing flavor. All of that to say, don't be stingy with the garlic here!
  • Chicken stock. You could also use chicken broth or vegetable broth instead, if that's what you have on hand or prefer. I recommend using unsalted or low-sodium stock/broth to give you more control over the saltiness of this recipe. Using regular chicken stock (not unsalted) plus the bacon, your could find that your soup turns out perfectly seasoned or a bit too salty.
  • Black-eyed peas. You have a few choices here. You can buy dried black-eyed peas and soak them yourself. Or you can buy pre-soaked black-eyed peas, which are often available in the produce section leading up to the New Year.
  • Bay leaves, dried thyme, + freshly ground black pepper. I bet you can guess the reason behind these ingredients...for yet more flavor!
  • Fresh chopped parsley. I find that cooking this New Year's black-eyed peas recipe with fresh parsley adds freshness and color to an otherwise savory, decadent soup. I like to garnish bowls with a little extra parsley for the same reason. If you don't have any fresh parsley, you may stir 3 tablespoons dried parsley into your simmering soup instead and simply skip the garnish.
Black Eyed Peas New Years recipe with bacon and parsley.

How to Make Black-Eyed Peas for New Year's

(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

We've already established that you can't go wrong with savory black-eyed peas in a garlic and thyme-infused broth, studded with bacon and fresh parsley. But in addition to being extremely tasty, you won't believe how easy this recipe is to make!

  1. Unless you bought pre-soaked black-eyed peas, go ahead and give your peas a soak in a large bowl (scroll down for specific directions, or find them in the NOTES section of the recipe card).
Bowl of dried black eyed peas soaking in water.
  1. Use kitchen shears to cut bacon directly over large pot or Dutch oven. You may certainly opt to chop your bacon on a cutting board instead...I just find that kitchen shears slice through raw bacon easier than a knife.
Cutting bacon with kitchen shears for Black Eyed Peas New Years.
  1. Heat pot to medium heat and cook the diced bacon, stirring regularly, until crispy. Remove bacon to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
Browning cut bacon in large pot.
  1. Drain all of the bacon grease from the pot except for 1 tablespoon. Add minced garlic to the reserved bacon grease in the pot and stir around for about a minute until fragrant.
Sauteing garlic in pot.
  1. Pour in the chicken stock and then stir in your soaked black-eyed peas, bay leaves, thyme, fresh parsley, pepper, and half of the drained, cooked bacon.
Black eyed peas new years recipe in soup pot on stove.
  1. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover.
  2. Cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until your black-eyed peas are tender.
  3. Garnish with with reserved bacon pieces and additional fresh parsley and enjoy!
Black eyed peas new years recipe in two bowls.

And there you have it...a Black-Eyed Peas New Year's recipe to rival all others!

One quick note...if the liquid in your soup gets low before the peas are tender, add an additional 1 to 2 cups of chicken stock.

On the other hand, if you desire less liquid by the time peas are done, simmer the pot uncovered for 10 or so extra minutes to allow for some evaporation.

How to Soak Black-Eyed Peas

It's easy to soak your own black-eyed peas, and there are two options for how long it will take...depending on how far you plan ahead. 😉

Regular Soak Method

Sort out any stones or shriveled/broken pieces, and then place the black-eyed peas in a large bowl. Cover with a couple inches of cool water. Allow to soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and proceed with the recipe.

Quick Soak Method

Put sorted beans in a large pot and cover with a couple inches of cool water. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and allow to soak for 1 hour. Drain and proceed with the recipe.

Black Eyed Peas New Years soup in bowl.

Slow Cooker Directions

The ingredients remain the same to make this recipe in the slow cooker, with the exception of reducing the amount of chicken broth. Since evaporation isn't an issue in a crockpot like it is on the stove, you'll only need 8 cups chicken broth (instead of 10).

Also, there's no need to pre-soak your dried black-eyed peas if cooking them in the slow cooker, although you may do so to speed up the cooking time a bit.

  1. Use your favorite method to cook your bacon until crispy. I prefer baking mine in the oven for the least mess. Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil, line with bacon, and cook in preheated 400°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until crispy. Use a fork or tongs to remove the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate to drain and then, once cool enough to handle, chop the bacon.
  2. Cover and refrigerate half of the chopped bacon put the rest of it in the bottom of a large slow cooker.
  3. Add dried black-eyed peas, garlic, most of the parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and pepper to the crockpot.
  4. Pour in the chicken broth and stir to combine.
  5. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours (more or less depending on how hot your crockpot runs) or until the black-eyed peas are tender.
  6. Discard the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Stir in remaining fresh parsley and serve with (reheated) reserved bacon.
Spoonful of Black Eyed Peas New Years over bowl.

If you've never really fancied black-eyed pea recipes, I think this one will change your mind.

If you already traditionally eat them on New Year's Day, I think you will enjoy this new way to prepare them.

And if you've never before ingested a black-eyed pea -- or never eaten them for luck on New Year's -- I encourage you to give this DELICIOUS Black-Eyed Peas New Year's recipe a whirl!

In fact, if you try them on the 1st for a lucky and prosperous year, I'm pretty sure you will end up making them again and again...every New Year's Day or perhaps even the whole year through.

They're just that darn good. 🙂

Aerial view of Black Eyed Peas New Years.

Recipes for New Year's Eve

Black Eyed Peas New Years in bowl with spoon.

The BEST Black-Eyed Peas New Year's Recipe

This Black-Eyed Peas New Year's recipe is flavored with bacon, garlic, and thyme, for a savory, delicious soup that's said to bring luck and prosperity when eaten on New Year's Day!
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Soaking Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 424kcal
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Video

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces bacon
  • 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic, about 4 large cloves
  • 10 cups unsalted/low-sodium chicken stock, OR broth (plus additional, if necessary)
  • 1 pound dried black-eyed peas, soaked* and drained
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 cups fresh parsley, chopped (plus additional, for garnish)
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Using a pair of kitchen shears, snip bacon slices into 1-inch segments and place in pot (or chop with a knife on a cutting board). Cook, stirring often, until bacon is crispy. With a slotted spoon, remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour the bacon grease from the pot, reserving about 1 tablespoon in the pot.
  • Add minced garlic to the pot and stir for 1 minute, or until fragrant and beginning to turn a light golden brown. Pour in chicken stock, black-eyed peas, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, pepper, and half of the cooked bacon pieces (refrigerate the other half of the bacon for now).
  • Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until the black-eyed peas are tender. If the liquid gets too low before the peas are done, add an additional 1 to 2 cups of chicken stock. And if you desire less liquid by the time peas are done, simmer uncovered for 10 or so more minutes.
  • Remove the bay leaves and serve the soup hot with the reserved bacon crumbles and additional fresh chopped parsley sprinkled on top.

Notes

*REGULAR SOAK METHOD: Sort out any stones and shriveled/broken pieces, and then place black-eyed peas in a large bowl and cover with a couple inches of cool water. Allow to soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain.
*QUICK SOAK METHOD: Put sorted beans in a large pot and cover with a couple inches of cool water. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to soak for 1 hour. Drain and proceed with recipe.
Around New Year's, you can also often find containers of pre-soaked black-eyed peas in the produce section.
*SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS (ingredients remain the same except for reducing the chicken broth):
  1. Use your favorite method to cook your bacon until crispy. I prefer baking mine in the oven for the least mess. Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil, line with bacon, and cook in preheated 400°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until crispy. Use a fork or tongs to remove the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate to drain and then, once cool enough to handle, chop the bacon.
  2. Cover and refrigerate half of the chopped bacon put the rest of it in the bottom of a large slow cooker.
  3. Add dried black-eyed peas (pre-soaking is optional), garlic, most of the fresh parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and pepper to the crockpot.
  4. Pour in 8 cups chicken broth (a slow cooker requires less broth since there's no evaporation) and stir to combine.
  5. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours (more or less depending on how hot your crockpot runs) or until the black-eyed peas are tender.
  6. Discard the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Stir in remaining fresh parsley and serve with (reheated) reserved bacon.

Nutrition

Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 388mg | Potassium: 1062mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1320IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 7mg
Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

This post was originally published on December 29, 2013, and updated on December 29, 2017, December 28, 2020, December 28, 2021, and December 27, 2023.

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5 from 29 votes (16 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




18 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These black eyed peas were so simple, but so unbelievably delicious! If they don't bring good luck in the new year, I don't know what will 😉

  2. 5 stars
    These were super scrumptious. A new family favorite. I'll be making this black-eyed peas recipe an annual tradition for new year's!

  3. 5 stars
    These black eyed peas had the best flavor! We couldn't get enough. Definitely making them every New Year's Day from here on out!

  4. 5 stars
    2022 MUST be a good year! Gotta eat those Black Eyed Peas this year! Fingers crossed. I've made this recipe for several years now and everyone loves the addition of bacon to this recipe. Bacon makes everything better, right? 😀

  5. 5 stars
    Mmmm!!!! These turned out so good. I wanted to make them ahead of time to make sure we liked them before we had friends come over for New Years and they were GREAT! Can't wait to make them again!

  6. 5 stars
    The BEST EVER! When I told my husband we were having black-eyed peas for New Year’s Day he turned up his nose with the “I don’t like black-eyed peas, they taste like dirt.” One bite of these and he changed his tune. I got a “yummy” sound in most every bite. No longer will the black-eyed pea be relegated to one meal a year. This was the first time I made these and I followed the recipe. I don’t think I would change a thing.

    1. Ha ha, yay! I've always thought that black-eyed peas taste like dirt, too, but I love them cooked like this. So glad y'all do, too! 🙂

  7. These pictures are so beautiful, Samantha. I could swear I could reach out and pull one of those beans right out of my computer screen! I love black eyed peas and would be happyt to make this any time of year 🙂

  8. 5 stars
    These black eyed peas were fabulous Samantha. I grew up eating them for new year's every year. My grandma always made them and they were something I looked forward to every December. Thanks for a great new way to cook them. Happy New Year!

  9. 5 stars
    This recipe was great! I'm not usually a big black eyed pea eater either but my husband and I loved this! Thanks!

  10. I've heard of it, but never remember on New Years (it is not traditional in the NorthEast). Fortunately I am going shopping tomorrow so I think I will pick up some black eyed peas to give it a try. I could always use some extra luck!

  11. What pretty pictures! I really want to try your recipe this year. I am a Texan and have always eaten black eyed peas on New Years Day (I think they taste like dirt too). Usually I swallow a spoonful & go on my way but these look great! Thank you and Happy New Year!

    1. Ha ha, Ivy...well, I hope this recipe allows you to actually enjoy a whole bowl of black-eyed peas this year, instead of just forcing a spoonful! 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by. Hope you have a wonderful New Year, too!

  12. Interesting, I never knew black eyed beans were associated with luck!! That's so cool. I am African and all kind of superstitious and we love our black eyed beans too. So I will be trying this recipe on NYD just because. You pictures are beautiful. Happy New Year's in advance Samantha!

    1. When i dated aboy from Georgia, I found out this New Year specialty is a Southern tradition, along with greens. I am pretty sure these basic sides evolve from plantation cooks. These foods are very popular in West Africa.