Black-Eyed Pea and Sausage Soup (Pressure Cooker)
I was gifted a gorgeous hostess set from Inox Artisans and wanted to style the ladle with some sort of soup. I’d be able to create a new recipe, try out my ladle and showcase this brand and their products in one sweep. How fun!
** Black eyed peas are actually beans, so I am going to refer to them as beans throughout this recipe. I hope that helps clear up any confusion.
I had made a soup similar to this a few years back and could not remember the website where I had gotten the recipe, so going by memory and adding some of my favorite ingredients, this soup was born. I loved it! My husband loved it! It’s warm, homey, hearty, and flavorFUL! Read on for some tips about this recipe.
I used a pressure cooker for this recipe because I didn’t take the time to soak my beans overnight, nor did I want to take the time to do a “quick soak” on the stovetop. Pressure cooking eliminates all that. If you soak your beans, your cooking time will be even less than if you don’t soak them.
Let me take a side note here on pressure cookers…I have a stovetop pressure cooker, a sort of modern classic. I do not own an electric/instant pot. I did some research and decided the stovetop would fit my cooking style. And I have to admit, the nostalgia of growing up with my grandmother having a stovetop pressure cooker, did play a role. America’s Test Kitchen was a great resource for me. If you are debating on electric or stovetop, they offer pros and cons on many models. Very helpful! Cooking times are a bit shorter with a stovetop versus electric, so keep that in mind when you read recipes.
You might read some recipes that suggest adding a tablespoon of oil to your cooking liquid, to keep the beans from getting “foamy.“ In this recipe, since you are rendering the fat from the sausage, there’s no need to add any extra oil.
I added a very small amount of dried Italian seasoning, just enough to have a hint of earthiness, but not enough to be a dominant flavor. You can certainly add more or omit it all together.
You are welcome to change up the greens! Spinach or kale (hardy stems removed) would be delicious in this Black-Eyed Pea and Sausage Soup, too!
Do you have to use a pressure cooker? Nope. You can make this recipe in a stockpot or Dutch oven on your stovetop. Follow the directions through Step 6. Then, bring your mixture up to a gentle simmer and cook for 35-ish minutes to an hour or so, depending on whether or not you soaked your beans, and how hot your burner is. Carefully taste a bean for the firmness desired and season as needed. Discard bay leaves as instructed. Continue recipe through to the end.
I have not used the slow cooker method for this recipe, but I’m sure you’ll have no problem finding a recipe online if you’re interested in this method.
Enjoy!
Black-Eyed Pea and Sausage Soup (Pressure Cooker)
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker 6 to 8 quart
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage, hot or mild, see Notes
- 1 cup leeks, white parts, sliced and cleaned
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced
- 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
- 1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 quart water
- 2 dried bay leaves
- kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 bunch Swiss chard leaves chopped
- 2 teaspoons (or more) apple cider vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice, to taste
Instructions
- Pour the beans into a colander and look them over for any small rocks or other debris that does not belong and discard. Rinse the beans well and set aside.
- In a pressure cooker over medium-high heat, add the sausage, crumbling it as it is added.
- Cook the sausage, stirring often, until cooked through. (Watch the pot and make sure your sausage does not burn. You don’t want flecks of black char throughout your soup.) If your sausage renders a lot of fat, drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.
- Add the Italian seasoning and leeks; saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the stock, water, beans, bay leaves, salt and pepper according to taste. Be sure the liquid is flavorful since the beans will be absorbing some of this liquid. As long as your sausage is cooked through, you can taste the liquid and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Lock the lid onto the pressure cooker and set the valve to high pressure. Once the pressure cooker has alerted you that it has reached internal pressure, set a timer for 20 minutes.
- After the time has elapsed, allow the cooker to naturally release.
- Carefully remove the lid once it is safe to do so, opening the lid away from you for safety.
- Stir. Remove the bay leaves and discard. They have given their all.
- Carefully taste for seasoning; it will be hot. Adjust according to tastes.
- Add the chopped Swiss chard and stir to wilt.
- An optional step is to add a touch of vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice to your soup. Start with a couple of teaspoons, taste and see if you’d like to add anymore.
- Serve warm in bowls.
Notes
I tried this recipe a few weeks ago and the dish turned out delicious. I will say, I used some leftover beef stock instead of chicken stock (not sure how much of a difference it made). Regardless, I still enjoyed the dish and paired it with some stove top, roasted potatoes.
I am thrilled you liked it! Beef stock sounds amazing! And who doesn’t like potatoes on the side??