This Instant Pot Black Eyed Pea Soup is an easy way to cook this hearty, cheap, and nutritious soup with dried black eyed peas in half the usual time! And it’s a great way to use up any leftover ham (or a ham bone) you have from the holidays. In the south, it’s traditional to eat black eyed peas and greens on New Year’s Day for good health, prosperity, and luck in the new year.

Packed with healthy pulses, tons of veggies, and smoky flavor, this soup will warm you to the core on cold days. And since it’s freezable and makes a TON, you can easily store the leftovers for the next time you need a quick, warm meal on a busy weeknight. It’s gluten- and dairy-free, too!
I love the traditions surrounding New Years. A while ago, I posted a recipe for Vasilopita, a traditional sweet Greek bread with a coin hidden inside (whomever gets the coin in their slice gets good luck in the new year).
And in fact, I’ve even heard that some people add a coin to this soup with the same intention. By the way, I do not condone this- it would be so hard to find in a soup. So dangerous for your teeth!
Why do people eat black eyed peas and greens on New Years?
This tradition of black eyed peas on New Years is 1500 years old. In fact, it’s documented that people ate black eyed peas in 500 A.D. as part of a Jewish custom of celebrating Rosh Hashanah.
Eating black eyed peas with rice is African in origin. When served with rice, the dish is known as a “Hoppin’ John.” The greens (traditionally collard, but I used kale) are green and therefore represent wealth. This tradition spread throughout the South after the Civil War. One tradition states that they are a symbol of emancipation for previously enslaved African-Americans.
This soup is a twist on the tradition. Here’s a great recipe for traditional southern black eyed peas from Grandbaby cakes.
Sometimes, the peas are served with cornbread, which is golden in color and therefore also represents wealth.
Is black eyed pea soup healthy?
Wealth and traditions aside, I love the healthy, nutritious focus on this soup. I eat this soup all winter long because it’s so healthy and nutrient-packed!
The black eyed peas are super high in fiber (and, interestingly, using dried peas results in more fiber than canned). We all know greens are good for you- kale and collards both have a ton of health benefits.
But because collards need to cook for a longer period of time, they often lose some of their nutrients in the cooking process. I used kale because it requires very little time to cook in the soup.
Can I make this black eyed pea soup vegetarian or vegan?
Yes! This soup is packed with a delicious smoky flavor, both from the ham and from the smoked paprika. If you are making a vegetarian/vegan version of this recipe by omitting the ham, I recommend adding more smoked paprika to get that awesome flavor.
Also, be sure to use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
I also made sure to use fire roasted diced tomatoes. I almost always use them in whatever recipe I’m making that calls for canned tomatoes. The fire roasting gives them a smoky, deep flavor.
Should I soak the black eyed peas?
I DO recommend soaking the peas before cooking.
People love pressure cookers because they save on time. So from a time-saving perspective, you don’t really need to soak them. And if you want to skip this step, you can make this soup with dried black eyed peas and 8 cups of chicken stock instead of 6, increasing the cooking time to 30 minutes from 10.
BUT. Here’s why I recommend soaking them.
- Soaking the peas breaks down the indigestible carbohydrates found in legumes that makes them hard to digest. If you soak them, they’ll be easier to digest. In other words: less gas :-)
- Soaking the peas in SALTED water helps flavor them and helps keep the skin intact. You’ll end up with much more flavorful peas if you use salt when soaking, and it will also help the peas not turn too mushy when they cook.
So there you go! I recommend soaking the peas covered by at least 2 inches of water in a container with 1 tablespoon kosher salt overnight in your fridge before making this soup. Drain and rinse well before cooking.
Can I make this in my slow cooker or on the stovetop?
Yes! To make it in your slow cooker, start by sautéing the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and cubed ham in a skillet, as you would in the instant pot. Add the sautéd ingredients, and all the rest of the ingredients except for the tomatoes, greens, salt, and pepper. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Then, stir in the remaining ingredients/season with salt and pepper.
To make it on your stovetop, sauté the veggies in olive oil, add the garlic and ham, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer covered on low for 2-3 hours, until peas are cooked. Then, stir in the greens, tomatoes, and season with more salt and pepper.
Why I recommend an Instant Pot
If you got an Instant Pot for the holidays and can’t wait to try it out, this is a great beginner’s recipe! And if you don’t have a pressure cooker, I highly recommend it. It makes healthy cooking so fast and easy.
As compared to a slow cooker, I like that the Instant Pot has a sauté feature (which makes browning meat and softening veggies a cinch). It also makes food taste a bit better in my opinion than a slow cooker. There is a bit of a learning curve to it, but once you get in the swing of things, it’s a wonderful piece of kitchen equipment for the busy cook.
Other Instant Pot Soup Recipes with Dry Beans
Looking for a more traditional recipe? Here’s a great recipe for traditional southern black eyed peas from Grandbaby cakes.
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Instant Pot Black Eyed Pea Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 rib celery diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1.5 cups ham cubed, or leftover ham bone or hock (see notes)
- 1 lb. dried black eyed peas soaked overnight in salted water, rinsed, and drained
- 6 cups chicken stock/broth or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (from about 2 sprigs)
- 15 oz. canned fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 cups roughly chopped kale or collard greens, packed
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot/pressure cooker to the “sauté” setting.
- Sauté the onion, celery, and carrots in the olive oil (1 tablespoon) for 2-3 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the minced garlic (1 clove) and cubed ham (1.5 cups); sauté for 2-3 more minutes. (If using a ham bone or hock, just add the garlic, then add the ham bone in the next step).
- Add the pre-soaked, drained, and rinsed black eyed peas, chicken stock (6 cups), smoked paprika (1 tablespoon), bay leaf, fresh thyme (1 tablespoon). Stir together.
- Set Instant Pot/pressure cooker to manual/high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Allow to naturally depressurize for 20 minutes, then quick release the pressure.
- If you used a ham bone/hock, remove it at this time. Take the meat off the bone, chop it up, and add it back to the pot. Discard the bone.
- Stir in the 2 cups packed kale (or collard greens) and canned diced tomatoes to the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste. The residual heat of the soup should cook the greens through, but you can always set the pot to "sauté" to simmer it for a few minutes if you need to.
Notes
- Soaking the beans: I recommend soaking the peas covered by at least 2 inches of water in a container with 1 tablespoon kosher salt overnight in your fridge before making this soup. Drain and rinse well before cooking. This will help break down the indigestible carbohydrates in the peas and flavor them as well.
- Slow Cooker Instructions: If using a slow cooker, sauté the vegetables and cubed ham as directed for an instant pot in a skillet. Transfer to the slow cooker, and add all the rest of the ingredients except for tomatoes, greens, salt, and pepper. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Add the tomatoes and greens and season with salt and pepper when it’s done, allowing the residual heat of the soup to cook the greens through.
- Stovetop Instructions: If using the stovetop, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery as instructed in olive oil in a large pot. Add the garlic and ham as instructed. Add remaining ingredients except for tomatoes, greens, salt, and pepper, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low for 2-3 hours, or until black eyed peas are tender. Add the tomatoes and greens, season with salt and pepper, and continue simmering until greens are cooked through.
- Make it vegetarian/vegan: omit the ham and make sure to use vegetable stock. Add more smoked paprika for a deeper smoky flavor, as well as more salt.
- I made this recipe in my 6 qt. Instant pot. It should work the same in an 8 qt., but you may need to cut the ingredients in half for a 3 qt. mini.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. The serving size is estimated. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Peaches
Have made twice in 2 months. What a wonderful fragrance and taste!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Connie
This soup was amazing!! Thank you for explaining WHY it’s a good idea to soak the black eyed peas overnight. It really made a difference in the texture.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! And yes, I ALWAYS soak the beans – makes such a difference! Glad that was helpful for you.
Laura
We enjoyed having this for New Year’s Day! I made the vegetarian version on the stove top.. Blackeyed peas are pretty and have a distinctive flavor. I used a whole bunch of collards.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Theresa
Love it! So hearty and healthy. Super easy to make. A new staple.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Jessica W
Made this for new years (used bone broth instead of stock) and it was delicious! Already sent to my whole family. I ate three bowls and saved leftovers. Even my 1yo loved it!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Julie
Holy cow!!! I’ve found a New Year’s recipe that is DELICIOUS!!! Thank you!! This is the best New Year’s recipe I’ve made. My husband and I loved. I’ve been trying for years to find a good recipe for black eyed peas. This is perfection. I think maybe what sets it apart is the smoked paprika-seems to flavor it perfectly. Also, maybe adding the tomatoes at the end makes it better too. I believe I heard my mother in law say that beans don’t cook as well in something acidic like tomatoes. Maybe that’s why this recipe works so well is the tomatoes are added after the beans have cooked? Whatever the reason, this recipe is so good that I want to make it year round. Thank you again and Happy New Year!!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! I also think the smoked paprika takes it to the next level!
Anne Stewart Parker
This is a keeper! Made it in an IP without ham and with extra smoked paprika. I try different black eyed pea recipes each New Year’s. This is the best so far.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Donna
Made on the stove top. Soaked my beans overnight. Loved it. Will absolutely make again. ❤️❤️
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Gretchen
I forgot to soak my peas. I see in that you can cook them without soaking but it says to increase the cook time to 30 minutes from 10. I’m confused though because the cook time is 30 minutes not 10
Elizabeth Lindemann
Good question. So in the recipe, you are setting the pressure cooker to cook for 10 minutes, but then letting it sit and depressurize for another 20 minutes. In this case, you would change that 10 minutes to 30 minutes. So the total cooking time would be 50 minutes, including depressurizing. Hope that makes sense!
Diana
Can I use spinach instead of kale and can I use beef instead of ham?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yes and yes! For beef, if it’s already cooked and not ground beef, I’d recommend stirring it in at the end so it doesn’t overcook and become tough.
Gina
Do you think I can double this recipe and cook it in a 8qt IP?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I think that would work! Just be sure not to fill it past the max line. If you are making it and it’s too much, you can always take some out before cooking and save it in the freezer to cook up another time.
Nancy Hancock
I made it in the instapot and it was outstanding exactly as written. I used pre diced cooked ham. Everyone loved it. For us Southerners, a side of cornbread is a must!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Bjloveless
This soup is SO GOOD! It’s so hearty and healthy. It has taken its place on our menu rotation, for sure. I didn’t have quite enough ham, so I added some turkey kielbasa. I think ham is a better call, but the sausage is good, too.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Charlotte Swab
Inspired by my recent trip to New Orleans, I made this for New Years. Very flavorful. Nice to return to some healthy but still hearty food (3 feet of snow here!) after the holidays. Made exactly as written -stovetop – but added some slap your mama spicy Cajun seasoning. Definitely will make again.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Love the idea of adding the Cajun seasoning – yum!
Jane S
Wow. This is so delicious! Surprised me since I am not a fan of black eyed peas. I did it on the stove top. I did soak the peas overnight. I used a large can of seasoned collards, not kale, from the grocery store. Did I say I’m not a fan of collards either? I added some diced red, yellow and green pepper in with the onion, carrots and celery (not a fan of onions or peppers either). I substituted about a 2″ x 3″ piece of fatback for the ham, sliced into 4 pieces and put it in with the garlic to brown lightly on each side. The collards and fire roasted diced tomatoes (whole can) went in after the peas were tender, per recipe. I was really trying to 1/2 the recipe and it still made about 8 servings. Wow. It’s just so, so very good.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
PAT ROWAN
could I make this soup with black beans instead?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Sure! The flavor would be a bit different but it would work with the same instructions, except black beans need a little more time to cook in the instant pot. I would add 2-4 more minutes to the pressure cooking time. Hope that helps!
Kathryn
I’ve cooked this recipe the past few years on New Year’s Day. It is easy and delicious. Definitely use smoked paprika and not sweet, it adds a great flavor.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Lisa T.
This was real good! I made it for supper tonight and it will go in my “make again” pile of recipes! I used cubed ham but will try a ham bone next time. Thank you! My husband liked it, too.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you and your husband liked it!
Katherine
Hi! I was going to make this – can I make it with fresh spinach instead of kale? Looks yummy!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Definitely! Just give the spinach a rough chop and stir it into the hot soup. It will wilt down in no time. Hope you like it!
lynn b
The soup was delicious! What is the “serving size” (316kcal)?
Elizabeth Lindemann
The serving size is approximately 1.5 cups (I estimated this just from tallying up the volume of ingredients and dividing that into 8 servings- my nutrition information is all my best estimate). Hope that helps!