Black eyed pea soup recipe made with simple vegetables and spinach in a mild tomato based broth. A nutrition dense, oil-free, whole food plant based soup that you can make in under 30 minutes with pantry ingredients.

Why do you'll love this vegetarian black eyed pea soup

• Excellent plant protein: A cup of cooked black eyes peas contain approximately 13 g protein. They are an excellent source of plant protein on a budget.
• Whole food plant based: This soup is made without oil. If you are on a whole food plant-based diet this soup is an excellent choice.
• Great for gut health: Black eyed pea is rich in fiber. This will help to feed the good gut bacteria, stabilize blood glucose levels and promote a healthy digestion.
• Budget friendly meal: This one-pot plant-based bean soup is loaded with veggies and is very cost effective. A pot of soup will feed a family of 4 to 6 people for just a few dollars! Use dried beans and soak them overnight to make this recipe economical and healthy at the same time.
• Satiating & delicious: The mild tomato based broth, the simple seasonings and the staple veggies combine to make this healthy black eye pea soup a comforting meal.
• Ready in 30 mins: Yeah! this soup comes together in just under 30 minutes. A wonderful vegetarian soup for your busy weeknights.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Find the Ingredients with actual measurements at the bottom of the post. The list below is just a reference.

• Black eyed peas: Dried black eyed peas soaked overnight and than pressure cooked and drained. You can make this recipe using canned black eyed peas that are drained and rinsed well.
• Aromatics: Yellow onion and minced fresh garlic. Adds lots of good flavors. You can add more garlic if you love its flavor.
• Vegetables: Celery, carrots and turnip. You can add more vegetables like diced potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini or yellow squash. We love the turnip and black eyed peas combo!
• Greens: Baby spinach. You can sub it with chopped baby kale, dragon kale or even roughly chopped collard green.
• Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes. We used canned crushed tomatoes. You can sub it with 2 or 3 medium sized Roma tomatoes that are pureed in a blender or grated with the help of a vegetable grater.
• Seasonings: Ground black pepper, oregano, basil, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and Himalayan pink salt. Skip the red pepper flakes if you are making this recipe for kids. We love this simple mix of seasonings. Simple tastes so much better and comforting!
• Bay Leaf.
• Liquid: water: You can also replace the water with vegetable stock.

Method 1 (Instant pot)

Find the detailed step by step recipe along with measurements + Video at the bottom of the post.

Step #1 Sauté aromatics & veggies

• Sauté aromatics & veggies: Sauté the aromatics and the vegetables (celery and carrots) until they turn soft (about 2 mins) in the instant pot on sauté mode. Use few tablespoons of water to sauté them. Now, add the diced turnip and all the seasonings, Sauté for 30 seconds.

Step #2 Deglaze pot

• Deglaze pot: Add cooked black eyed peas, crushed tomatoes and water. Deglaze the pot very well by scraping the sides and the bottom of the pot with the help of a spatula. This will help prevent the burn error.

Step #3 Pressure cook & serve

• Pressure cook: Add the bay leaf. Secure the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 3 minutes followed by a quick pressure release. Open the lid and discard the bay leaf.
• Rest & serve: Add the baby spinach. Give the soup a quick stir and allow the soup to rest for 5 minutes. The residual heat will help wilt the spinach. Serve the traditional black eyed pea soup hot or warm and enjoy!

Method 2 (Stove-top)

• Sauté: Set a deep bottomed pot or pan on the stove-top over medium high heat. Gently release the onion, 2 tablespoons water and sauté until the onion becomes soft. Keep adding few tablespoons water if the onion becomes dry and continue to sauté. Now, add the diced carrots, celery & garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Now, add the turnip and the seasonings and sauté for 30 seconds. This is an oil-free recipe, the veggies are sauteed with the help of water.
• Deglaze pot: Now, add the cooked black eyed peas, the crushed tomatoes and the water. Give everything a good stir. Deglaze the pot very well by scraping the sides and the bottom of the pot with the help of a spatula. This will help loosen any stuck food particles.
• Cover & cook: Now, cover and cook for 15 minutes over low medium low heat or until the turnip turn soft. Turn off the heat.
• Serve: Add the baby spinach and give everything a good mix. Allow the soup to rest for 5 minutes. The residual heat will help wilt the greens. Now, serve the soup hot or warm and enjoy!

Expert Tips

• Save cost: Use dried beans whenever possible. Soak them overnight, then cook them either in an Instant Pot or covered on the stovetop until tender. Once cooked, drain the beans and let them cool on the countertop. Store them in airtight glass containers in the refrigerator so they are ready to use for meal prep. Cooking beans this way saves money and is also a healthier choice.
• Oil free: Sauté the aromatics and veggies with few tablespoons of water until they turn soft. If the veggies and aromatics get dry add a few tablespoons more water and continue the process. The trick is to add a few tablespoons water and continue the sautéing process whenever the vegetables turn dry.
• More greens: You load this simple black eyed pea soup recipe with more greens like chopped collard, baby kale, dragon kale or even a mix of greens (all of these!).

How to serve

Here are a few of our favorite ways to serve this comforting and best black eyed pea soup recipe:

• Serve it with lightly sauteed brown rice with shallots and garlic.
• A light and heart garden salad will give you a nutrition boost almost instantly.
• A bowl of steamed assorted vegetables is also a great healthy choice.
• Moroccan couscous.
• Brown rice with vegetables.
• Air-fried veggies like acorn squash, brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes, smashed brussel sprouts, roasted beets, carrots and potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower, mushrooms and onion, baby gold potatoes, roasted radishes.

Leftovers & storage

• Fridge: Store the soup in air tight glass containers in the fridge for 4 days.
• Freezer: You can freeze this plant-based soup for 2 months. Use heavy duty freezer safe containers to store the soup. Thaw the soup over night in the fridge before reheating.
• Reheat: You can reheat the soup in the microwave oven until warm or hot. Use the instant pot on sauté mode to reheat the soup. Stir often to prevent burning. Also, you can reheat the soup on the stove-top in a sauce pan or pot over medium high heat. Adjust the consistency by adding more vegetable stock or water.

MORE PLANT-BASED SOUPS MADE IN THE INSTANT POT

• Instant pot lentil soup with potatoes.
• Bean and potato soup instant pot.
• Potato leek soup instant pot dairy free.
• Instant pot vegetable soup with potatoes.
• Instant pot Portuguese bean soup.
• Dry Lima Beans Instant pot.
• Instant pot red lentil soup.
• Old fashioned vegetable barley soup.
• Sweet Potato and kale soup with coconut milk.
• Vegan mushroom barley soup.
• Instant pot quinoa soup.
• Instant Pot 15 bean soup vegetarian
• Farro soup instant pot
• Cabbage lentil soup.
• Kale and potato soup.
• Mung bean soup recipe.
• Chickpea and potato soup.
• Broccoli lentil soup.

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