18 Black-Eyed Pea Recipes You'll Keep Coming Back To

Trust us, you want the humble black-eyed pea in your corner. It’s not one of those nondescript beans (we won’t name names), but one with a distinctive flavor, an earthy core tempered by an almost chestnutty starchiness. This is the bean-lover’s bean. Like all beans, they’re high in fiber and protein, and they play well with so many other flavors, like pork, which you’ll often see them cooked with. Native to Africa, black-eyed peas probably arrived in the 17th or 18th century in the American South, where they retain a fierce presence in the traditional cuisines. No matter the meal, whether you’re looking for an appealing player for salads, soups, stews and myriad other dishes, we declare black-eyed peas the heavyweight champion.

In the South, you might come across "Texas Caviar" or "Southern Caviar" which always contains black-eyed peas and corn, along with veggies chopped up to match the size and shape of the beans and corn. Here, Kardea Brown puts her own stamp on the dish with a version inspired by her Low Country heritage. A vinegar-forward hot sauce vinaigrette and chopped pimientos put it distinctly on the map of the Carolinas.

Washington, D.C. chef and Cutthroat Kitchen winner Huda Mu’min developed this hearty soup as an essential part of her Kwanzaa celebration, and loaded it with ingredients prized in Black culture. Though it’s fit for a holiday, it also has a remarkably quick cook time, so don’t be afraid to make it on a weeknight, too.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a Southern table that doesn’t serve some version of Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day, as the peas represent money (and consuming them on the first of the year purportedly augurs wealth for the remaining 364 days). Where did the name originate? Legends abound, but many food historians think that the resemblance to the French name for pigeon peas (pois pigeons) makes it an open-and-shut case.

Why not put your new favorite bean to use for a variation on hummus? It’s just as versatile, making an excellent and healthy appetizer, snack or lunch, at home on crackers, pretzels, crudites or eaten alongside grilled meats, with salad. Kardea’s own House Seasoning gives it some Low Country zing.