Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Stew Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

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Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Stew uses canned black-eyed peas and smoked sausage to create the perfect winter stew recipe with all the classic flavors of Louisiana. Black eyed peas are a traditional New Year’s Day dish so consider serving this hearty version with smoked sausage to kick off the year.

I’ll be honest, I can’t ever remember my Mom or Grandma serving black-eyed peas. But over the years, I’ve realized that there’s not a bean that I do not like. Wait…

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Are black-eyed peas a bean?

Yes, black eyed peas are actually a bean even though they are routinely called a pea.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s talk about these Louisiana Black-Eyed Peas. This black eyed bean recipe is from my Louisiana Junior League recipe book, so as you might guess, it’s full of authentic southern flavors.

The base of the recipe is the holy trinity, not the Catholic version but the Cajun or Louisiana holy trinity.

What is the holy trinity of Cajun cooking?

The holy trinity consists of celery, green peppers and onions. This combination is the base of Louisiana cooking.

Bacon is the other ingredient that thoroughly gives these southern black eyed peas amazing flavor. Bacon is fried up allowing the fat to render out.

What does it mean to render?

Render means to melt down the fat. The frying process melts the fat, drawing it out of the piece of bacon. Do yourself a favor, and save the bacon fat that gets rendered out during frying. It has amazing flavor.

This southern black-eyed pea recipe uses the bacon fat to sauté the vegetables and the smoked sausage. That’s two more layers of flavor.

Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Stew Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (3)

Ingredients for Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Stew Recipe

Bacon

Celery

Green bell pepper

Onion

Garlic

Canned Black Eye Peas

Water

Salt

Cayenne Pepper

Tomato

Smoked Sausage

How to Make Black Eyed Peas with Smoked Sausage

Step by Step Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, fry bacon until crispy over medium heat; remove bacon to a paper towel. Pour bacon grease into a bowl to reserve.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons bacon grease back to the skillet; sauté celery, bell peppers, onion and garlic until the onions are clear and translucent over medium heat.
  3. Meanwhile, add undrained black eyed peas, diced tomato, fried bacon, water, salt, and cayenne pepper (if desired) to a Dutch oven or a large saucepan.
  4. Add the sautéed vegetables to the black eyed pea mixture.
  5. To the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon bacon grease and thinly sliced smoked sausage. Fry until lightly browned and crisp. Add it to the black eyed peas. Bring to a simmer for 40 minutes or until to your desired thickness.
  6. Serve with cornbread or over cooked white rice. Try adding a dash of hot sauce.

For the full recipe and ingredient amounts for black eyed bean recipe, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Recipe FAQs

  • Save all the bacon fat that gets rendered in the first step. You’ll need to use it to sauté both the veggies and the smoked sausage later on.
  • Use your favorite type of smoked sausage.
  • This black-eyed bean recipe calls for canned black-eyed peas; however, if you’d like to start with the dried variety, follow the directions on the package to cook them completely before starting this recipe.
  • Do not drain the canned black eyed beans.
  • For more flavor, use chicken broth, chicken stock or beef broth instead of water.
  • For a spicier black eyed peas and sausage stew, add cayenne pepper or use a hot smoked sausage.
  • This winter stew recipes calls for a Dutch oven, but a large, deep saucepan can be used instead.
  • Check out our Amazon store for some of our pantry essentials and kitchen favorites.
Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Stew Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (5)

Are canned black eyed peas already cooked?

Yes, you can eat black eyed peas right from the can, if desired. As a rule of thumb, any canned food item is already cooked. The canning process “cooks” the food inside the can.

More Easy Stew Recipes

Mom’s Crock Pot Beef Stew

Chicken Pot Pie Stew

Beef Stew with Beer (Slow Cooker)

Smoked Sausage Stew

Poor Man’s Hamburger Stew

Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Stew Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (12)

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Stew

Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Stew uses canned black-eyed peas and smoked sausage to create the perfect winter stew recipe with all the classic flavors of Louisiana.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Entree, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: black eyed beans, black eyed peas, black eyed peas and sausage, black eyed peas and smoked sausage, black eyed peas with canned peas, black-eyed peas and sausage stew, canned black eyed pea stew, easy stew recipes, Louisiana black eyed peas, southern black eyed peas, what does it mean to render?, what is the holy trinity of cajun cooking?, winter stew recipes

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Barbara

Ingredients

  • 1 cup diced bacon
  • 2 cups diced celery
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 3 (15) ounce cans of black eyed peas (do not drain)
  • 1 (15) ounce can of warm water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 13 ounces smoked sausage, thinly sliced

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, fry diced bacon until fat is rendered and bacon is slightly crisp. Drain bacon to a paper towel; pour the bacon grease in a bowl to use later.

    Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Stew Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (13)

  • Add 2 tablespoons bacon fat back to the skillet; sauté celery, green peppers, onion and garlic until onions are translucent.

    Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Stew Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (14)

  • Meanwhile, add undrained black-eyed peas, 1 pea can of warm water, salt, cayenne pepper (optional), diced tomato and fried bacon to a Dutch oven or large, deep saucepan.

  • Once the vegetables are tender, add them to the black eyed peas.

  • To the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon reserved bacon grease; fry smoked sausage until lightly browned and crisp.

    Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Stew Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (15)

  • Add the smoked sausage to the peas and stir.

    Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Stew Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (16)

  • Bring the stew to a simmer, and continue to simmer for 40 minutes or until the stew is to your desired thickness.

    Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Stew Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (17)

Notes

  • Save all the bacon fat that gets rendered in the first step. You’ll need to use it to sauté both the veggies and the smoked sausage later on.
  • Use your favorite type of smoked sausage.
  • This black-eyed bean recipe calls for canned black-eyed peas; however, if you’d like to start with the dried variety, follow the directions on the package to cook them completely before starting this recipe.
  • Do not drain the canned black eyed beans.
  • For a spicier black eyed peas and sausage stew, add cayenne pepper or use a hot smoked sausage.
  • This winter stew recipes calls for a Dutch oven, but a large, deep saucepan can be used instead.
  • Love a winter stew? Try our Chicken Pot Pie Stew.
Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Stew Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

FAQs

Why do you rinse canned black eyed peas? ›

It is recommended to rinse canned black-eyed peas before cooking. Rinsing helps remove any excess sodium or brine that may be present from the canning process. Additionally, rinsing can help reduce the gas-producing carbohydrates that can cause discomfort.

How to make stew thicker with flour? ›

The flour helps to thicken a stew as it cooks. Whisk a teaspoon of flour in a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir into the stew as it's cooking. Don't add dry flour directly to the stew as it may clump. After adding the slurry, bring the stew to boil.

What happens if you forget to rinse beans before cooking? ›

Not draining and rinsing them can add viscosity, liquid, and/or flavor to a dish, she says, which isn't always something she wants for a recipe. But Gellman is a bit of an outlier. Most pros answer with, “It depends.” Dana Angelo White, MS, RDN says it has everything to do with what she's making.

What happens if you don't soak your black-eyed peas? ›

Not soaking the black-eyed peas can slightly impact the texture, as they can take longer to cook and may be slightly firmer compared to soaked ones. However, the taste will remain similar whether you soak them or not.

When to add potatoes to stew? ›

Adding the potatoes and carrots toward the end of cooking keeps their character and color bright.

Is it better to thicken beef stew with flour or cornstarch? ›

It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour.

What are three things added in thickeners for a stew? ›

The three main thickening agents for gravies are flour, cornflour and arrowroot.

Do I need to rinse canned black beans? ›

Unless the recipe tells you to keep the canned beans in their liquid, you should drain your can and give the beans a good rinse before using. This will improve the flavor and texture of your finished dish. Open your cans of beans using a can opener. There may be sharp edges from opening the can.

Should I rinse canned peas? ›

Chef Smith agrees: "Rinsing the vegetables helps to reduce the sodium and makes it easier to balance the salt in a dish." Indeed, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that draining and rinsing canned vegetables can reduce the sodium content by 5 to 10 percent.

Should you wash black-eyed peas? ›

Cooking black-eyed peas is going to be the same as cooking any other dried bean: You'll need to sort them, wash them, (sometimes) soak them, and cook them. The good new is, black-eyed peas have one of the shortest cooking times of any dried bean.

Can you eat black-eyed beans straight from the tin? ›

Canned Black Eyed Peas are fully cooked. In fact, you don't want to cook them too much longer or they start becoming mashed beans. Because they're fully cooked, you could eat them right out of the can, if you wanted. This makes them great for salads.

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