Collard Green and Black Eyed Pea Soup (Instant Pot)

This Collard Green and Black Eyed Pea Soup is the perfect winter recipe. Loaded with ground beef, carrots, collard greens and black eyed peas this is the perfect soup for New Year’s Day!

Black Eyed Pea Soup with Collard Greens

This delicious easy soup recipe will be one you want to revisit every year! This Instant Pot soup recipe includes both black eyed peas and collard greens — Two of the “luckiest” foods according to Southern (U.S.) New Year’s traditions! Add some cornbread and a bit of bacon, then you’re sure to have the best year.

This collard green soup can be made ahead of time, so you can easily serve this without missing time with any holiday guests you may have. Leftovers are absolutely delicious, so it’s perfect for lunches or as a freezer meal.

Collard Green and Black Eyed Pea Soup Ingredients

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this soup. For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card.

• Ground beef – Ground turkey or pork would also work well in this recipe
• Black Eyed Peas – Canned and drained. Pre-cooked black eyed peas will also work.
• Vegetables – Collard Greens, Onion, Carrot, Garlic. Turnip greens, mustard greens, or swiss chard could be substitutes for the collard greens.
• Canned Tomatoes with Green Chilis – Also called Ro-Tel here. I used mild, but you can use spicy if you prefer a hotter soup.
• Beef Broth – If using turkey or pork, chicken broth would be a reasonable substitute.
• Worcestershire – Adds great depth to the flavor of this soup!
• Rice Vinegar – Helps balance the flavors between the vegetables, meat, and peas.
• Spices – Paprika, Garlic Salt, Onion Powder, Salt and Pepper

How to make Black Eyed Pea Soup

I use my Instant Pot for this recipe because there is no better way to make tender and delicious collard greens than in an instant pot. The greens do not become mushy, instead they are perfectly tender every time, without fail. 

Brown ground beef

With the Instant Pot on sauté mode, spray with oil to avoid sticking. Brown the meat, then drain off any fat and grease. Keep the meat in the pot.

Sauté onion, carrots, garlic

Once the meat has been drained, add in the chopped onion, carrot, and garlic. Sauté until garlic is fragrant and carrots are tender.

Add collard greens

Next, add your collard greens to the pot and stir. Make sure you have cleaned the greens, removed the tough skin, and chopped into bite sized pieces.

Add remaining ingredients

Add the black eyed peas (drained and rinsed), tomatoes (undrained), broth, worcestershire, vinegar, and seasonings. Give it a good stir. Secure the lid and make sure the steam valve is closed.

Cook

Change the Instant Pot function to Pressure Cook and set the cooking time to 8 minutes*. When the cooking cycle is done, manually release the steam valve.

In many pressure cookers, you can expect it to take about 15-20 minutes before it’s ready to cook, so make sure to take that into account.

NOTE: If you plan to freeze this instead of eating it immediately, you might want to reduce the time to 6 or 7 minutes. This will slightly undercook the greens so that they are perfectly tender after reheating.

Serve

Obviously, this soup is begging for some cornbread! Go spicy with this Jalapeno Cornbread or a little sweet with these Cheddar Cornbread Muffins (with sweet potato!). You could try Easy Corn Fritters or Broccoli Cheddar Muffins on the side, too.

Store

Once the soup is completely cool, store in an airtight container up to 4 days.

Freeze

Allow the soup to completely cool, then pour into an airtight container, push out as much air as possible, and then freeze. It should be fine up to 6 months, but the texture and taste is best the earlier you eat it.

Reheat

Individual portions of this black eyed pea soup can be reheated in the microwave in 30-second blasts until it’s warmed throughout. Larger portions can be poured into a pot to warm up on the stove on medium low. Stir occasionally for even heating.

NOTE: You want to make sure you don’t overcook it while overheating. Heating it up more than once can lead to mushy vegetables and stringy greens.

If you like this Collard Green and Black Eyed Pea Soup, you will LOVE these recipes:

• The BEST Instant Pot Collard Greens – These are perfectly tender and complement pork, beef, and chicken for a versatile side dish.
• Cabbage and Black Eyed Pea Soup – This soup is a powerhouse of nutrients and SO comforting!
• How to Cook Swiss Chard – Bacon adds a great crunch and salty flavor that is perfect with the tender Swiss chard!
• Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Rice – This is a simple dinner or side dish that is great for picky eaters. It’s especially great during cold weather when you need something comforting and warm!
• Cajun Pork Chops and Fried Cabbage – This is a great one pan meal that is easy enough for weekday nights!

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