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.

Eggrolls universally appeal. Here, they retain their Chinese essence, with sesame oil and shredded cabbage, but get a Low Country twist with black-eyed peas, collards and, in perhaps the most inspired stroke, a tangy, hot pepper jelly sauce for dipping. These will disappear immediately from an appetizer tray, but if you have any left over, they tuck beautifully into a lunchbox.

Succotash originated with 17th-century Native Americans; it’s a vegetable and bean stew that is anything but sufferable. Corn, tomato and lima bean are near-constants, but you might see succotash adapted with squashes in the winter months and okra in the summer. Here, JJ Johnson turns it into the main event, adding sliced merguez sausage for a one-skillet meal that does it all.

Everyone loves a layered bean dip, but when the casserole starts to empty out and get those dried-on streaks, yikes, it’s not such a good look at the party. Kardea to the rescue, with these adorable individual dips which would be a home run at a picnic, but everyone will love them for any occasion, because they remove the taboo of the double-dip!

Beans and greens make a no-brainer side for barbecues, but this version is an ace in your back pocket for meals all year long, as it relies on frozen greens and canned beans, so it simmers to perfection in almost no time at all.

Ree Drummond takes the Tuscan bread salad on a trip to the American South, maintaining the Italian goodies like mozzarella pearls and cherry tomatoes, and swapping in cornbread croutons and black-eyed peas. The result is light and unexpected, sure to be a hit at any kind of meal.

Yes, it’s pork and beans once again, but with an updated take that Carla Hall has become known for. The pork tenderloin is full of flavor from its garlicky marinade, plus a char from the grill, and it’s topped with a piquant apple and black-eyed pea slaw. Refreshing and modern.

This brothy bowl of comfort will make a black-eyed pea fan of anyone. Simmered with a smoked ham hock and another Southern favorite, collard greens and enhanced with rice and bacon, this soup pairs with a fresh tray of cornbread for a dinner that will wipe away the ill effects of any inclement weather that might be lashing at the windows.

We love this slow-cooker gumbo because it practically cooks itself. And loaded with bacon, shrimp and andouille, it will trick all the self-proclaimed carnivores into hearty servings of kale, collards and beans, too.

We couldn’t get through this gallery without mentioning grits, could we? With buttery, creamy, hot grits and some tomatoey stewed black-eyed peas, this dinner serves up a serious helping of Southern comfort.

White miso and edamame give this succotash a Korean soul, but it also melds the savoriness of those ingredients with all the best qualities of creamed corn, so you may find yourself going back to it all summer long.

This salad might carry a lot of "firsts" for your eaters—first fried olives, for example, or first raw, shredded parsnip. But despite that, Damaris Phillips’s dish is pretty simple to put together, and it’s a real crowd pleaser.

When you simply can’t face the deli meats in your cold cuts drawer again, try this bean-and-grain bowl, which cooks up quick enough to even make a weekday lunch. Some salsa and slices of avocado make it taste special and fresh, even though it comes together from pantry staples.

This hearty Cajun version of the classic New Orleans stew barely needs a calling card to sell it. Smoked sausage, pork and chicken mingle with savory seasonings and rice. It makes a lot (because it’s a party in a stew) but you will be so happy for any leftovers, which only get better with time.