Black-Eyed Pea Soup With Turkey

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Swap smoked turkey wings for classic ham hocks in this soul-satisfying black-eyed pea soup.

By Jasmine Smith

Published on December 30, 2022

Black-eyed pea soup with turkey in white bowl — Photo:
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis

Active Time:

30 mins

Slow Cook Time:

4 hrs

Total Time:

4 hrs 30 mins

Servings:

8

Black-eyed peas are a New Year's Day classic, a sign of good luck for the new year. They're typically slow simmered with bacon, pork, or the remaining bits of Christmas ham. But for this version, we're swapping in smoked turkey wings, which lend all the meatiness of ham but replace saltiness with a sultry smokiness.

You can usually find smoked turkey legs in the meat department. They're particularly popular at the holidays and in winter for soups and stews. If you don't, ask your butcher if they have any in back or in the freezer.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onion (from 1 large onion)
3 garlic cloves, minced (1 Tbsp.)
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 lb. smoked turkey wings
1 lb. dried black-eyed peas
10 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
3 cups chopped stemmed collard greens (from 1 [8-oz.] bunch)
3/4 cup chopped celery (from 3 small celery stalks)
2 dried bay leaves
1 (8 1/2-oz.) pkg. precooked microwavable white rice
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until translucent, but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cumin; cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in turkey wings, black-eyed peas, chicken broth, collard greens, celery, and bay leaves. Cover and cook until turkey wings and peas are very tender, about 4 hours on HIGH or 7 to 8 hours on LOW.
Remove and discard bay leaves from soup. Use tongs to transfer turkey wings to a cutting board. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard bones and skin; shred meat into bite-size pieces. Return shredded turkey wings to mixture in slow cooker, and stir to combine. Add rice; stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Mix in apple cider vinegar, thyme, black pepper, salt, and cayenne. Serve hot.