by Erin Marissa Russell
Wondering how to serve all the black-eyed peas your garden has produced this season? When you grow your own black-eyed peas, it’s easy to end up with tons of fresh peas before you know it. This should be a good thing, but if your family is in a rut when it comes to ways to eat these tender, tasty peas, they may be a hard sell at the dinner table. That’s why we’ve done the research and combed through tons of recipes that include black-eyed peas to prepare this list of the very best options you probably haven’t considered.
Prepare Homegrown Black-Eyed Peas in Small Bites and Snacks
Get creative with your crop of black-eyed peas and find ways to serve them in appetizers and snacks. Whether you fry your black-eyed peas until crispy and season them like chips, blend them smooth for a fresh take on hummus, or shape them into fritters paired with tasty sauce, they’re a great way to start off a meal or tide your family over until dinnertime. Better yet, since black-eyed peas from the garden are a healthy, protein-packed food, you’ll feel good about what you’re serving.
Apples for CJ’s Black-Eyed Pea Hummus
Brit.co’s Black-Eyed Pea Corn Muffins
Bryant Terry’s Black-Eyed Pea Fritters with Hot Pepper Sauce on Epicurious
Food Fidelity’s Easy Black-Eyed Pea Falafel Cakes with Spicy Tahini Sauce
Food Fidelity’s Quick and Tasty Pan-Fried Black-Eyed Peas
Foodie with Family’s Easy Slow Cooker Black-Eyed Pea Dip with Corn and Bacon
Homesick Texan’s Pickled Black-Eyed Peas
Southern Living’s Southwest Black-Eyed Pea Dip
Spend with Pennies’ Cowboy Caviar
Sprinkle Some Fun’s Crispy Black-Eyed Peas—Seasoned and Baked
Make Salads Sparkle by Adding Fresh Black-Eyed Peas
Beans and peas are a natural and nutritious way to round out a salad and make it a meal. When you’re using black-eyed peas from the garden, you can also count on the completed salad being absolutely delicious. Take a look at the tried-and-true recipes we’ve rounded up below to get some inspiration for ways to use black-eyed peas in salads.
Carla Hall’s Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Hot Sauce Vinaigrette on TheKitchn
Country Living’s Fresh Black-Eyed Peas Salad
Food 4 Wibowo’s Wheat Berry and Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Food Wishes New Year’s Day Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing
Hank Shaw’s Greek Black-Eyed Pea Salad on SimplyRecipes
Kate Winslow’s Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Red Onions and Dill (Salata Mavromatika) on Food & Wine
Macheesmo’s Black-Eyed Pea Benedicts
Sean Brock’s Black-Eyed Pea and Watercress Salad with Corn Bread Croutons on Food & Wine
Southern Living’s Peas and Kale Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette on MyRecipes
Taste of Home’s Vibrant Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Wegmans’ Southern Black-Eyed Pea and Cabbage Salad
Whip Up Fresh and Filling Soups with Black-Eyed Peas
One of the most familiar ways to eat black-eyed peas is in a tasty soup, swimming in flavorful broth. The recipes in this section will show you lots of different ways to include the black-eyed peas your garden produces in flavorful, comforting soups. Take a look to get some ideas.
EmpressChristine’s Black-Eyed Pea and Bacon Soup on AllRecipes
Grandbaby Cakes’ Chicken Chili with Black-Eyed Peas
Kalyn’s Kitchen’s Hoppin’ John Soup (or Black-Eyed Pea, Ham, and Collard Greens Soup)
KitchMe’s Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo
Michael Symon’s Pork Cheek and Black-Eyed Pea Chili on Food & Wine
Not Eating Out in New York’s Red Cabbage and Black-Eyed Pea Soup
The Blond Cook’s Black-Eyed Pea and Sausage Stew
The Food Lab’s Easy Sausage, Kale, and Black-Eyed Pea Soup with Lemon and Rosemary on Serious Eats
TheKitchn’s Black-Eyed Pea Soup with Andouille and Collards
Pair Black-Eyed Peas with Meat for Tasty Main Courses
These recipes are all about the main event. Black-eyed peas go perfectly with all kinds of meat. Although many of us are most familiar with bacon or ham in the black-eyed pea pot, there are lots of other ways to make black-eyed peas part of a meaty main course. Take a look at the recipes below to get an idea of a few of the possibilities.
Climbing Grier Mountain’s Black-Eyed Pea and Beef Pull-Apart Pizza
Dave’s Georgia Black-Eyed Peas with Ham on AllRecipes
EatingWell’s Chicken with Black-Eyed Peas and Yellow Rice
Local Milk’s Pork Confit and Black-Eyed Pea Cassoulet
Paul Grimes’ Garlicky Black-Pepper Shrimp and Black-Eyed Peas on Epicurious
Recipe Girl’s Tex-Mex Black-Eyed Pea Casserole
Southern Living’s Smoky Black-Eyed Peas with Fried Green Tomatoes on MyRecipes
Taste of Home’s Bayou Chicken
Taste of Home’s Southern Skillet Chops
The New York Times’ Black-Eyed Peas with Ham Hock and Collards
The Spruce Eats’ Pork and Sausage Jambalaya with Black-Eyed Peas
Let Homegrown Veggies Shine with More Main Dishes Featuring Black-Eyed Peas
The recipes you’ll find here put black-eyed peas and other vegetables front and center as part of veggie-centric main dishes. These are a perfect way to use lots of the harvest from your garden while feeding your family at the same time. Note: Not all the recipes here are vegetarian, though many of them are. They may include a bit of meat, such as a ham hock, chopped bacon, or optional chicken, but just aren’t heavy on the meat.
Chloe Coscarelli’s Southern Skillet Black-Eyed Peas with Quick Buttery Biscuits on Food Network
Connoisseurus Veg’s Cajun Black-Eyed Pea Burgers
Grab a Plate’s Black-Eyed Peas, Spinach, and Creamy Tomato Hand Pies
Healthy Slow Cooking’s Sloppy Black-Eyed Peas
Like Mother Like Daughter’s Potato Black-Eyed Pea Tacos
Martha Stewart’s Black-Eyed Pea Tacos
Ryan Hardy’s New Year’s Day Black-Eyed Peas on Toast on Food & Wine
She Likes Food’s Black-Eyed Pea and Sweet Potato Tacos with Pomegranate Seeds
Southern Living’s Hoppin’ John Noodle Bowls
Strength & Sunshine’s Curried Black-Eyed Pea Salad Sandwiches
Texas Monthly’s Black-Eyed Pea Pie
The Washington Post’s Kale and Black-Eyed Peas with Smoky Grits
The Washington Post’s Pasta and Black-Eyed Peas
Vanilla and Bean’s Black-Eyed Pea Sweet Potato Cornbread Pot Pie
Turn to Cuisines the World Over for New Ways to Eat Black-Eyed Peas
While American Southern cuisine is likely the first style of food that comes to mind when you think of cooking black-eyed peas, it isn’t the only way to go. Some of the recipes in this section are traditional, while others are brand new. Either way, you can count on these preparation methods to be delicious and unexpected ways to eat your homegrown black-eyed peas.
Bon Appetit’s Black-Eyed Pea Chile Verde
Cookie and Kate’s African Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Cooking Curries’ Mangalorean Spinach and Black-Eyed Peas Curry
Grab a Plate’s Italian Style Black-Eyed Peas
Making Thyme for Health’s Mexican Black-Eyed Peas and Greens
Marcus Samuelsson’s Black-Eyed Peas with Coconut Milk and Ethiopian Spices on Food & Wine
Ministry of Curry’s Black-Eyed Peas Curry and Rice (Instant Pot)
Saveur’s Accara (Senegal Black-Eyed Pea Fritters)
The Spruce Eats’ Moroccan Black-Eyed Peas (Cowpeas—Ful Gnaoua)
Vegan Richa’s Black-Eyed Pea and Sweet Potato Harissa Hash
Whip Up Scrumptious Sides with Your Homegrown Black-Eyed Peas
There’s nothing wrong with plain old simmered black-eyed peas as a side dish, maybe flavored with a little smoked turkey, ham, or bacon. That said, the recipes below will give you some more unique ways to eat the black-eyed peas from your garden as an accompaniment to your meal’s main event. Take a look at the ideas listed here to see what we mean.
101 Cookbooks’ Black-Eyed Peas and Leeks
Cooking on the Weekends’ New Year’s Hoppin’ John Black-Eyed Pea Spinach and Mushroom Gratin
Homesick Texan’s Black-Eyed Pea and Hominy Casserole
Isa Chandra’s Hottie Black-Eyed Peas with Ginger Sweet Potatoes and Apples
Naturally Ella’s Black-Eyed Peas and Dill Potato Skillet
Paula Deen’s Southern Mashed Black-Eyed Pea Cakes
Rachael Hartley Nutrition’s Black-Eyed Pea and Greens Casserole with Cornbread Crust
Savory Spin’s Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens Croquettes
Southern Living’s Reunion Pea Casserole
Taste of Home’s Southern-Style Egg Rolls
The Kitchn’s Sheetpan Okra with Tomatoes and Black-Eyed Peas
The New York Times’ Couscous with Black-Eyed Peas and Greens
VegNews’ Smothered Black-Eyed Peas
Surprise Your Family with Sweets Made of Black-Eyed Peas
Who would have thought you could make desserts out of black-eyed peas? It’s more than possible—with these recipes, it’s bound to be delicious. Try a traditional Vietnamese dessert, che dau trang, or include your homegrown black-eyed peas in more run-of-the-mill desserts. These ways to eat black-eyed peas are anything but ordinary, and your family is bound to be surprised.
Cupcake Project’s Black Thai Cupcakes
Diary of an ExSloth’s Black-Eyed Peas Chocolate Chip Blondies
GroupRecipes’ Pretty Black-Eyed Pea Cake
Tasty Kitchen’s Black-Eyed Pea Pie
The Kitchen Girl’s Gluten-Free Black-Eyed Brownies
With all these ways to eat the black-eyed peas you grow in your garden, there’s no reason you shouldn’t grow just a few more plants next year. Keep your favorite recipes from this article in your go-to meal prep file, and you’ll never run out of ways to serve the black-eyed peas you harvest from the garden. Of course, if you somehow manage to grow tired of all these new ideas, keep in mind that you can also substitute black-eyed peas in recipes that call for absolutely any variety of beans or peas out there.
Want to learn more about cooking with black eyed peas?
All Recipes covers Black Eyed Peas
BRIT + CO covers Black Eyed Pea Recipes
EatingWell covers Black Eyed Peas
Food & Wine covers Black Eyed Pea Recipes
San Antonio Current covers Black Eyed Pea Recipes for New Year’s Day
Southern Living covers Black Eyed Peas Recipes
Taste of Home covers Black Eyed Pea Recipes
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