Black Eyed Peas (Stovetop) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

FAQs

Do I need to soak black-eyed peas before cooking? ›

The black-eyed pea, which is also known as a cowpea, doesn't necessarily need to be soaked. But if you find yourself short on time, soaking black-eyed peas can make a true difference in regards to cooking time. So if time is ever your enemy, this simple method will make your day!

Southern tradition holds that the first food to be eaten on New Year's Day should be black-eyed peas for luck and prosperity -- specifically, one pea for each day of the year. To really ensure a good year, add a mess o' greens for wealth.

Canned black-eyed peas are best in recipes that don't require slow cooking or a long cook time, which can make them mushy. If you're using canned black-eyed peas, simply rinse them in a colander to remove any liquid from the can as well as excess salt. Then you're good to go!

Well, creating an alkaline (or basic) environment by adding a small amount (about 1 teaspoon per cup of dry beans) of baking soda to your soaking/cooking water can actually help your beans cook faster.

Don't worry about soaking lentils, split peas, or black-eyed peas (or cowpeas). Lentils and peas are softer than dried beans. They'll cook within 5 to 20 minutes without any soaking time.

When cooking black-eyed peas without soaking, rinse them thoroughly under cold water to remove any impurities. Then, place them in a pot with enough water or broth to cover them by about 2 inches. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until they reach the desired tenderness.

It turns out they're also popular in Yucatán and Campeche, where they go by the Mayan word (or maybe a kinda Mayan/Spanish hybrid word?) “xpelón,” (they have two varieties, both cowpeas but not exactly what we know as black-eyed peas) and are favored by poorer people.

Eating black eyed peas can help you maintain healthy weight levels. Black eyed peas are rich in soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps the body with weight management. The protein and slow-digesting, high-quality carbohydrates in black eyed peas also help you feel full.

The black-eyed pea or black-eyed bean is a legume grown around the world for its medium-sized, edible bean. It is a subspecies of the cowpea, an Old World plant domesticated in Africa, and is sometimes simply called a cowpea.

"If you rinse your beans thoroughly, you will have a consistently flavored product, but if you do not rinse them, different amounts of salt will remain in the dish each time you cook it, and it will be hard to cook consistently," he says.

What thickens black-eyed peas? ›

If you want to thicken the black eyed pea soup/stew, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and about a half cup or so of the bean liquid. Slowly pour in small amounts and stir in the hot pot until you achieve the best consistency.

Wait until the beans are tender but not quite done to add a splash of apple cider vinegar and a couple teaspoons of salt to the pot. The apple cider vinegar breaks down indigestible sugars to help digestion and also brightens the flavor of the beans without the need for excess salt.

Drain them the next day and bring them to a boil in cold water, then reduce the heat so the water barely simmers: dried black-eyed peas can overcook, and a rolling boil could cause them to break apart. Taste the peas often to check their doneness: They should be creamy but retain their shape.

Place beans in a large pot and cover them with 4 inches of chicken stock. Simmer, covered, for about 1 hour. Start checking after 45 minutes to see if they are tender and add more broth or water as necessary to keep them covered. Add in a ham bone if you have one for even more flavorful black-eyed peas.

Soaking is strongly recommended for all beans and peas, except lentils and black-eyed peas, for even cooking and to remove water-soluble, gas-producing starches. Soaking can be done using the traditional or the quick-soak method. TRADITIONAL METHOD: Clean and rinse beans; cover with three times as much water as beans.

Overnight soak: Place beans in a pot and cover with water by about 2 inches. Add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt per pound of pounds, and allow them to soak for 4 to 12 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse before cooking.

We had a large pot of crowder peas and a smaller pot of blackeyed peas in water soaking over night. If working with dry peas they should be washed and then soaked for a minimum of 8 hours to “swell”.