Black-Eyed Peas with Ham

Similar to hoppin' John, this is a great way to turn your New Year's black-eyed peas into a main dish.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 622 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3 stalks green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
• 1 ½ cups warm cooked rice
• 2 leaf (blank)s bay leaves
• 1 medium lemon, juiced
• 1 (16 ounce) package dried black-eyed peas
• 1 (8 ounce) bone-in ham steak
• 3 slices thick-cut bacon
• 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth, or as needed to cover

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place black-eyed peas into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let soak, 8 hours to overnight.

Step 2

Drain peas. Dice ham and reserve the bone.

Step 3

Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels and crumble when cool enough to handle. Reserve for garnish.

Step 4

Saute onion and celery in the bacon drippings over medium heat until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Drain the bacon fat and transfer vegetables to a soup pot.

Step 5

Add peas, diced ham, ham bone, tomatoes, lemon juice, bay leaves, Creole seasoning, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cover with chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Step 6

Reduce heat to low and simmer until peas are soft, about 2 hours. Remove bay leaves and ham bone.

Step 7

Serve over warm rice with crumbled bacon and green onions sprinkled over top.