Looking for the best black-eyed pea recipe? One that will finally, assuredly bring you good luck in the new year? No guarantees, but maybe this is this one. “It’s a superstitious thing,” says Julia Sullivan, owner of Henrietta Red in Nashville. Making a large pot of Southern black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is “something my mom has always done,” she says, noting that the side dish, often served alongside collard greens and cornbread, is said to bring fortune to anyone who eats it.
The dish is distinct from hoppin’ John, another New Year’s staple served across the South, particularly popular in Black Americans’ soul food cooking traditions. The later dish comprises field peas cooked with rice (or spooned over rice, depending on whom you ask), flavored with a ham hock or smoked turkey.
Sullivan’s black-eyed peas recipe is streamlined, requiring just bacon, diced onions, garlic, and thyme. Because the ingredient list is short, using dried peas is essential to developing a flavorful broth; no vegetable broth or chicken stock necessary. As with any legume, it’s advisable to soak your peas overnight (to cut down on their cooking time). Drain them the next day and bring them to a boil in cold water, then reduce the heat so the water barely simmers: dried black-eyed peas can overcook, and a rolling boil could cause them to break apart. Taste the peas often to check their doneness: They should be creamy but retain their shape.
Depending on how you spend December 31, New Year’s Day isn’t always an optimal time to cook. Thankfully, you can make this recipe up to 3 days ahead. Store the cooked black-eyed peas in their broth, in an airtight container, and reheat just before serving with hot sauce or pepper sauce.
Can’t wait that long to get lucky? Our friends at Epicurious have a recipe for Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas, you can make in just about 10 minutes
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Ingredients
8 servings
2
Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4
oz. slab bacon, cut into ½" pieces (optional)
1
medium onion, finely chopped
5
sprigs thyme, plus leaves for serving
4
garlic cloves, smashed
2
cups dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight, drained
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
FAQs
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day has been a tradition held by families for decades, but where did it first come from? Let's connect the dots. According to author and food scholar Adrian Miller, eating black-eyed peas for the holiday is said to bring good luck, health and abundance.
What time do you eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day? ›
If you are planning to celebrate the New Year in the Southeast, it is most likely that you will be offered black-eyed peas in some form, either just after midnight or on New Year's Day.
What is the meaning of hog jowl on New Year's Day? ›
Hog Jowl: On New Year's Day, hog jowls are traditionally eaten in the south to ensure health, prosperity and progress, according to Southern Culture and History website. Jowls are the "cheek" of the hog and when cooked, they resemble thick-cut bacon.
How many black-eyed peas with ___ hocks New Year's dish thought to bring good luck? ›
This classic Southern dish, a one-pot meal of black-eyed peas, ham hock, and rice, is believed by many (not just the Sterlings) to ensure wealth and bring good luck in the upcoming year.
Where did the black-eyed pea tradition come from? ›
Today, the tradition of eating black-eyed peas for the New Year has evolved, as many traditions do, into a number of variations – but most hold the theme of luck and prosperity that harkens back to the Civil War days when people felt lucky to have black-eyed peas to eat and help them survive the cold, harsh winter ...
Why eat ham on New Year's Day? ›
Pork and more so ham! That's because pork is considered lucky because of the way pigs “root forward.”Cornbread because the kernels represent coins. Ring-shaped items like doughnuts also symbolize good luck!
What is the traditional New Year's Day menu? ›
Greens, pork, and cornbread, as well as black-eyed peas, cowpeas, or beans, are some of the typical symbolic foods served on New Year's Day. When planning your dinner menu, add the Southern foods that some say bring good luck and avoid those that may do just the opposite in the new year.
Why eat pork on New Year's Day? ›
According to lore, the forward movement of pigs when they root around for food on the ground signifies a “moving forward” trajectory in life, and thus pork is a favorable meat to enjoy to start the year off on the right track.
Why eat cabbage on New Year's Day? ›
This eastern European tradition of eating cabbage on New Year's—either as a dish or as cabbage rolls—is meant to signify luck, particularly on the financial side of things. People who eat cabbage on New Year's believe that it'll help them make more money in the year ahead.
Why do they say not to eat chicken on new year's Day? ›
Avoid Winged Fowl
If you don't want your luck to fly away in the new year, it's best to avoid any animal that has wings and scratches in the dirt, like turkey or chicken. These birds scratch backward, which can imply dwelling in the past or—even worse—the need to scrape by for your living.
Greens. Black-eyed peas naturally go hand-in-hand with greens as a great combination, but greens themselves are known to be lucky for New Year's. So why do people eat collard greens on the New Year? It's all about the color green, which symbolizes money and prosperity.
What food is superstition for new year's Day? ›
Lobster, cows, and chicken are all considered unlucky animals to eat on New Year's because of how they move. Read on for more foods superstitious people try to avoid on the holiday.
Are black-eyed peas a superstition for new year's? ›
Some say you'll have the best chance at luck if you eat exactly 365 black-eyed peas, one for each day of the year. Others will even add a coin to the pot that the peas cook in, and it is said that whoever gets the coin in their dish will have the most luck in the coming year.
Can dogs eat black-eyed peas? ›
Dogs can eat black-eyed peas as an occasional treat. Pet owners can offer black-eyed peas as a healthy snack or mix the beans into homemade dog food. Like many other beans, black-eyed peas are high in protein, fiber, and vitamins while low in calories and cholesterol.
Why is the band called black-eyed peas? ›
After Eazy-E died of an AIDS related illness in 1995, they changed their name to Black Eyed Peas; will.i.am explained on the front cover of the Monkey Business album that “Black Eyed Peas are food for the soul”, hence the name.
What is the spiritual meaning of black-eyed peas? ›
The symbolism behind black-eyed peas is twofold. First, the peas are said to resemble coins, symbolizing wealth and financial abundance in the year ahead. Second, their hearty nature represents resilience and sustenance during challenging times.
What does the traditional New Year's meal mean? ›
New Year's foods are dishes traditionally eaten for luck in the coming year. Many traditional New Year dishes revolve around the food's resemblance to money or to its appearance symbolizing long life, such as long noodles or strands of sauerkraut. Sweets, symbolizing a sweet new year, are often given or consumed.
What is the luck about black-eyed peas? ›
Eating black-eyed peas, a Southern tradition that goes back hundreds of years could leave you feeling lucky. Eating black-eyed peas for New Year's has long been an African-American and Southern tradition. It signifies luck or prosperity, one of several New Year's foods that are associated with good fortune.
What do the peas represent in the new year? ›
The peas themselves represent coins or wealth, and consuming them is believed to bring financial prosperity. Often, they are cooked with greens, which symbolize money, and served with cornbread, representing gold. This meal becomes a symbolic wish for a prosperous and lucky new year.
