Simple black-eyed peas with collard greens and ham is an amazing Southern comfort dinner that is sure to please everyone! It’s rich, full of flavor, and so easy to make. You’ll want to whip up this dish all the time!
Southern Black Eyed Peas And Collard Greens
This recipe is simply seasoned to let the natural flavors shine, but it’s still full of flavor! In my version, I add lots of onion, garlic, and savory ham to season the black-eyed peas and greens.
It’s a simple, delicious meal that’s so hearty and filling! Serve this dish with a side of freshly baked cornbread, and you’ve got a meal that will impress any Southerner!
Jump to:
- Southern Black Eyed Peas And Collard Greens
- 🥘 Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens Ingredients, Notes, & Substitutions
- 📖 Variations
- 🔪 How To Make Black Eyed Peas With Collard Greens
- 🍽️ What To Serve With Black Eyed Peas
- 💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- 🥡 Storing & Reheating
- ❓ Recipe FAQs
- 🍽️ More Easy Dinner Recipes
- 📖 Recipe Card
- 💬 Comments & Reviews
🥘 Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens Ingredients, Notes, & Substitutions
Simple, tasty black-eyed peas with collards and ham are such an easy all-in-one dish. Keep these ingredients around, and you can have this tasty meal anytime the mood strikes!
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil – I prefer extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for this recipe as it’s a little healthier than butter or other fats.
- 1 cup Onion – The onion should be chopped for this recipe! I like to use white or yellow onion here.
- 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic – A tablespoon of minced garlic is equivalent to 3 cloves. You can mince your own or use the store-bought stuff!
- 1 pound Collard Greens – The collard greens should be thoroughly rinsed, then the stems should be removed, and the greens roughly chopped (See Tips and Recipe Notes).
- 1 cup Cooked Ham – I like to use cubed ham for this recipe! You can also add in a meaty ham bone or use chopped, crisped bacon instead.
- ½ teaspoon Salt & Pepper – You should season the greens and peas to taste here, according to your taste preferences!
- 2 cups Chicken Broth – You can also use water to braise your greens, but I prefer the flavor that comes with chicken broth!
- 31 ounces Black Eyed Peas – This is equivalent to 2 15.5-ounce cans of black-eyed peas. The peas should be drained and rinsed of their canning liquid.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
📖 Variations
Across the south, there are many different seasoning variations on this tasty dish! It can be seasoned in many ways, according to your taste preferences! Additions can include:
- A few dashes of hot pepper sauce or crushed red pepper
- A tablespoon (or more) of white or apple cider vinegar
- A tablespoon of yellow mustard
- A splash of Worcestershire sauce
- A pinch of sugar
- A turkey neck, ham hock, salt pork, or hog jowl (for traditional meat options) – *If using any of these, you’ll want to remove them before serving, as they are not meant to be eaten, only to flavor the dish.
🔪 How To Make Black Eyed Peas With Collard Greens
Classic Southern black-eyed peas with collard greens and ham are a deliciously simple meal! I recommend using canned black-eyed peas instead of dried ones to make it so much easier!
Step 1: Sauté. Start the black-eyed peas by preheating a large pot or Dutch oven with 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add 1 cup (160 grams) of chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until it reaches your desired level of tenderness. Then, add 1 tablespoon (8 grams) of minced garlic. Sauté the garlic for about a minute or so, but don’t let it burn!
Step 2: Add greens. Next, stir in 1 pound (454 grams) of cleaned, chopped collards until coated with the oil, onions, and garlic, then cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Add Ham, Black Eyed Peas & Finish
Step 3: Add ham. To the collards, add 1 cup (113 grams) of cooked ham, ½ teaspoon (3 grams) each of salt and pepper (or according to taste), and 2 cups (470 grams) of chicken broth (or water). Then, reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and let the collards and ham simmer for 25 minutes.
Step 4: Add black-eyed peas & serve. Once 25 minutes have passed, remove the cover and stir in 31 ounces (879 grams) of drained and rinsed black-eyed peas. Then, return the cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Once done, remove your pot from the heat and serve immediately.
🍽️ What To Serve With Black Eyed Peas
Simple, classic black-eyed peas with collard greens and ham are an all-inclusive dish that is good any time of year! I love to eat this meal on its own or served with a side of cornbread. It’s a Southern dish that’s going to fill you up – so come hungry! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- I prefer to use whole collard greens that I clean and cut myself instead of bagged, pre-cut collards! Packaged pre-cut collards always include the stem, which is tough and unpleasant to eat.
- If using bacon, use the leftover bacon fat to fry the onions and garlic instead of olive oil! It will be a delicious complement to the flavors!
- For extra flavor, sauté the cubed ham with the onions and garlic to brown the ham. This will give the dish another layer of delicious flavor!
- This recipe also makes a great soup! Simply add more chicken broth to your desired consistency! It makes a hearty, filling soup that’s so tasty!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Leftovers of my delicious black-eyed peas will keep for about 3 to 4 days! Make sure you store the peas and greens in an airtight container or plastic storage bag to ensure it has the best quality.
Freezing
You can also freeze the leftovers of this meal! The black-eyed peas should be kept in an airtight storage container or heavy-duty freezer storage bag.
The leftovers will keep for about 6 months this way, but I recommend eating them within 3 months for the freshest flavor.
Thaw frozen black-eyed peas with collard greens by leaving them in the fridge overnight.
Reheating Black-Eyed Peas with Collard Greens
Reheat black-eyed peas with collard greens in one of two ways:
Pop them in the microwave until warm (about 2 minutes) or bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until heated through (about 15 minutes.)
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
❓ Recipe FAQs
Sure! If you happen to have dried black-eyed peas, you can use them instead of canned. Be sure to soak and pre-cook according to package instructions before adding the black-eyed peas to the dish. The peas won’t cook properly otherwise!
To me, the easiest way to cut whole collard greens is to stack a few leaves and then use a sharp knife to slice around the stem. Discard the stems, then repeat until all the stems are removed from the collard greens.
Then, I cut the leaves in half lengthwise, stack the pieces of collards, and chop them into roughly 1-to-2-inch pieces! I like to slice my own collard greens because I can remove the stem completely, which isn’t my favorite to eat!
Black-eyed peas with collard greens and ham are a traditional Southern dish that’s been around for centuries! In the South, black-eyed peas with collard greens are a New Year’s tradition that is said to bring luck and prosperity in the coming year. It’s also incredibly delicious!
🍽️ More Easy Dinner Recipes
- Crockpot Cube Steak - This slow cooker dinner requires very little prep work.
- Bisquick Chicken and Dumplings - Using Bisquick makes this chicken and dumplings recipe extra easy.
- Chicken a la King - Chicken, vegetables, and a rich cream sauce make this a winning dinner.
- Dirty Rice - A Cajun rice dish loaded with tons of ground beef and pork.
- Crockpot Chicken and Gravy - Tender shredded chicken is smothered in savory gravy.
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📖 Recipe Card
Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens and Ham
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 cup onion (chopped, white or yellow onion)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 1 lb collard greens (rinsed, stems removed, and chopped)
- 1 cup cooked ham (cubed, or use ham bone or crisped bacon)
- ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- 2 cups chicken broth (or water)
- 31 oz black eyed peas (2 15.5 ounce cans, drained and rinsed)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat a large pot or Dutch oven with the olive oil to medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, or until it reaches your desired level of tenderness. Add the garlic and saute for a minute more.
- Stir in the cleaned, chopped collards until coated with the oil then cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the ham, salt, pepper, and broth (or water) then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and allow to simmer for 25 minutes.
- Remove the cover and stir in the drained black eyed peas. Return the cover and cook an additional 10 minutes.
- Once done, remove from heat and serve immediately.
Notes
- I prefer to use whole collard greens that I clean and cut myself instead of bagged, pre-cut collards! Packaged pre-cut collards always include the stem, which is tough and unpleasant to eat.
- If using bacon, use the leftover bacon fat to fry the onions and garlic instead of olive oil! It will be a delicious complement to the flavors!
- For extra flavor, sauté the cubed ham with the onions and garlic to brown the ham. This will give the dish another layer of delicious flavor!
- This recipe also makes a great soup! Simply add more chicken broth to your desired consistency! It makes a hearty, filling soup that’s so tasty!
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Freeze for up to 6 months, but use within the first 3 months for best quality.
jean PERKINS says
great recipe and alternative to usual plain black eye peas.
Cheryl says
I'd give it a 6 if I could!!! We live in Florida and every year we serve up collard greens and black eyed peas with cornbread.....but this is the best recipe EVER that I have made!!!! Followed your recipe to the tee and just added hot pepper vinegar to the bowl at dinner time.....OMG!!! Perfection!!! went back and deleted all of the other recipes I have saved over the years...don't need them anymore....THANK YOU!!!! PS I might mention that I used seasoned black eyed peas in the can...