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. 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…

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.

 

Ingredients for Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Stew Recipe

Bacon

Celery

Green pepper

Onion

Garlic

Canned Black Eye Peas

Water

Salt

Cayenne Pepper

Tomato

Smoked Sausage

How to Make Black Eyed Peas with Smoked Sausage:

1. In a large skillet, fry bacon until crispy; 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, green pepper, onion and garlic until the onions are clear and translucent.
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.

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

Notes About Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Stew:

• 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.
• Check out our Amazon store for some of our pantry essentials and kitchen favorites.

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