Black-Eyed Peas with Ham
Description
Similar to hoppin' John, this is a great way to turn your New Year's black-eyed peas into a main dish.
Ingredients
•
1 (16 ounce) package dried black-eyed peas
•
1 (8 ounce) bone-in ham steak
•
3 slices thick-cut bacon
•
1 medium onion, diced
•
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
•
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
•
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
•
1 medium lemon, juiced
•
2 bay leaves
•
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
•
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•
salt and ground black pepper to taste
•
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, or as needed to cover
•
1 1/2 cups warm cooked rice
•
3 stalks green onions, chopped
Directions
1
Place black-eyed peas into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let soak, 8 hours to overnight.
2
Drain peas. Dice ham and reserve the bone.
3
Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels and crumble when cool enough to handle. Reserve for garnish.
4
Saute onion and celery in the bacon drippings over medium heat until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Drain the bacon fat and transfer vegetables to a soup pot.
5
Add peas, diced ham, ham bone, tomatoes, lemon juice, bay leaves, Creole seasoning, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cover with chicken broth and bring to a boil.
6
Reduce heat to low and simmer until peas are soft, about 2 hours. Remove bay leaves and ham bone.
7
Serve over warm rice with crumbled bacon and green onions sprinkled over top.