Tradition says that on New Year’s Day, eating black-eyed peas brings luck and greens brings money. You’ll feel pretty rich and lucky eating this soup any day. For more festive recipes, see our Holiday Menu Builder.
By Nancy Macklin, RDN ,
Ingredients
- 2 leeks, trimmed, halved, and sliced
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ 32-oz. containers low-sodium vegetable broth (6 cups)
- 4 cups chopped stemmed collard greens
- 2 15-oz. cans no-salt-added black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
- 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large pot cook leeks, celery, carrots, and garlic over medium 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed to prevent sticking. Add the next seven ingredients (through crushed red pepper, if using). Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are very tender.
- Season to taste with red wine vinegar. Sprinkle with parsley.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (3 cups), 230 calories, 43 g carbohydrates, 12 g protein, 2 g total fat, 302 mg sodium, 12 g fiber, 9 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
I love this soup! It’s very hearty and filling. The splash of vinegar at the end really made it pop. One time I only had one can of the black eyed peas so I cooked a cup of farro (high protein/fiber grain) and added it in. It worked really well. Very satisfying.
I made this for a girlfriend who is vegan and also gluten free. I followed the recipe to a T … and it was delicious! Surprisingly so, I must say. I was really not expecting the end product to be as tasty and nuanced as it was! I served with a loaf of GF bread which was a nice complement. I will make this again for sure!
I could feel my body responding positively to the good health in this soup. I had more energy and alertness after having a couple of cups of this soup. My entire family loved it; even my finicky college-aged son. Thank you for sharing!
Unfortunately, I found this soup cosmetically unattractive–it looked light brown sludge–and boringly bland. I’m not talking about adding hot sauce, which I did, but it needed some kind of spice to give it some taste. I’m vegan, but my wife is not; however, I do all of the cooking, so she eats whatever I make, sometimes picking at the food, though, as she obviously is not enjoying what she’s eating. I was embarrassed to serve this to her.
Hi Debra,
all vegetables have natural ‘sugars’ it’s the added sugar that is the thing to look out for. when I don’t make broth myself, i only buy “Kitchen basics unsalted vegetable stock” in 32 oz boxes (no refrigeration req, its shelf stable) it has NO sodium & NO added sugar. it only contains 4g of sugar (naturally found in vegetables) every other brand of prepared broth seems to have added sugar. the “extra” 5g of sugar? (4 g natural + 5 grams added? ) likely came from the Brand the recipe calls for with “containers low-sodium vegetable broth” i always look for the ‘added sugar’ on the nutrition facts.
hope that helps
1-2-25
New Years Day Soup With Black Eyed Peas
Hi, Need to know Where is the 9-grams of Sugar coming from?
Thanks.
Debra
Hi Debra,
The minimal amount of sugar in this recipes comes from veggies and beans. Sugar is a natural component of many natural ingredients (think how sweet carrots and onions are). Vegetables, beans, and grains, in their natural with fiber and protein and complex carbohydrates still intact, doesn’t result in the same blood sugar spike as heavily processed sugar. Hope that helps!
So dang good! I had no idea a black eyed pea dish could be that good! Even my husband, who normally wouldn’t even try something like that, loved it! It’s now going to be on our regular menu! Thank you!
Delicious. This will become a staple in your home. Way to dress up black eyed peas.
Just made this soup for the first time. It is amazing. Husband loved it. We will definitely be making it again! Happy New Year!
Could you please clarify amount of broth needed for this recipe?
48 ounces, which is 6 cups
Hi Nee Nee,
You need 48 oz of broth, which is 6 cups. We have updated the recipe to make this clear. Thanks for asking!
I made my soup with most of the veggies and herbs from our garden. Oh it tastes so gooood.
Happy New Year.
While Black Eyed Peas are considered the being Good Luck in the New Year Collards are supposed to bring prosperity, or $$$!
Can’t believe all those willing to forsake prosperity seriously better taste & texture in the soup by subbing Spinach the m place of the Collards!!?
Delicious on a cold gray New Year’s Day! I didn’t have a zucchini but added corn and mushrooms and used kale instead of collards. Thank you for the recipe and the readers for their comments and suggestions.
Brilliant Tasty Recipe Thank You went down well with my family.
Just made this for lunch and we left loved it! Thank you!
For some reason, I can no longer print the recipe 🙁
My email is not accepted.
Love the help with meal planning your récipies have
This delicious soup just tastes like health! I feel so nourished when i eat it. It’s a staple in our house. I’ve subbed kale for the collards and various beans for the black-eyed peas if I don’t have them. Also, used 2-3 regular onions instead of leeks. It’s always awesome!
Thank you for sharing this recipe first time making it, and now it’s one of our favorites
Our New Year’s Day tradition for the past several years—absolutely delicious! After holiday excesses, this is exactly what I crave.
I didn’t grow up eating black-eyed peas or collard greens so I didn’t have any specific expectations for this soup. It was delicious! Definitely going into my soup rotation. I added a little bit of leftover shredded cabbage but no other modifications.
Yummm!!! Now the good luck is sure to come
Carnivore husband loved this. I only added mushrooms cause I love them with black-eyed peas. And I took a suggestion from another commenter to add Better Than Bouillon,. Good ideas and the soup is full of good tastes.
Outstanding and so easy to make! The whole family loved it! .. The only thing I changed is I replaced collard greens with fresh spinach added at the end as husband doesn’t like collard greens. But other than that, I made no changes. Used Organic Better Than Bouillon to make the broth and I find that using that instead of boxed broth results in more flavorful soups. I also use less than the one teaspoon per cup as it is so flavorful. Enjoy.
Loved the suggestion to use Better Than Bouillon. Thanks for that. I addedushrroms cause I love mushrooms with black-eyed peas
Better Than Bouillon, even the low salt versions, have way too much salt.
Annual tradition! We serve ours over Forbidden rice (decadent black rice) and it’s amazing.
Bland. Added some yellow curry paste. Not a repeat. Definitely needs a side of cornbread.
Haven’t cooked yet, but can’t wait to try!! This looks like it could be the bomb!!
I’m confused by broth amount. It is 32 ounces or 32ounces plus another half (16 ounces) for a total of 48 ounces of 6 cups. Thanks!
Made this yesterday! My husband snd I loved it!!!
This will definitely be our new New Year’s Day celebration soup.
We have made this recipe for three years now, so it’s become part of our New Year’s Day tradition. It is nourishing and delicious.
I was looking for recipes for New Year’s Day leftovers and found this. I didn’t have enough black eyed peas to make recipe as written so I used purple hull peas (brought fresh at farmer stand and frozen). I increased each vegetable 1/2 cup and added some shallots. Served topped with cornbread croutons.
This was a great New Years Day recipe! Not only delicious, but the recipe was so easy to follow and quick to prepare. Highly recommend and will make this again even if it’s not New Year’s Day!
I subbed kale for the collards and it was delicious!
Just made this. Added a couple of extra veggies (fresh corn off the cob and a handful of green beans). Taste-tested it with a little piece of cornbread and it’s delish!! Definitely will keep this one for future use!!
Looks great
Yum! Substituted spinach for the collard greens. Do you add the red wine vinegar and parsley to individual bowls or the pot itself?
So good my family loved it! I also had a nice side salad with this. I was worried it wouldn’t taste good but making this a yearly tradition now! The splash of vinegar at the end really brings it together.
the print / continue does not work…
I don’t have red wine
If you don’t have red wine vinegar, what is a substitute?
I have used apple cider vinegar as a substitute. It may not taste exactly the same, but should have an acid/fruit flavor.
I see avocado in the photo but not in print.
I think that may be zucchini.
Awesome *((
Yummy
Thank you. Your recipe is quite clear. I think perhaps you have some rude readers.
Is there a substitute for collard greens
I think Kale works great.
I like spinach instead
Will make this
Copy and paste.
No print option?
Yes, printer icon is at the very top – where it tells you “prep time, number of servings, and either print or save recipe”
Bring to boiling before adding broth? “Next seven ingredients” = broth, collard, peas, zucchini, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper. Confusing.
Hi Kurt, I’m so sorry about the error. The instruction should have said to bring to boiling after adding those seven ingredients. I’ve updated the recipe accordingly. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.
Warmly,
Courtney Davison
Associate Editor for Forks Over Knives
Made this last night for New Years Eve.
Had to make a few substitutions such as different beans and way too many collards which needed extra broth.
It turned out great. Because we could assemble the ingredients ahead of time we were able to enjoy our champagne with minimal interruptions.
A keeper.
I just made this for the first time. It smells delicious. My husband’s cardiologist suggested a plant based diet last week. I’ve jumped in with both feet! Luckily I love to cook and have some skill. I have been reading recipes from this site feverishly. Thank you.
This site is such a gift!