Black-Eyed Pea Soup also has sausage and bell peppers and this eating this delicious soup on New Year’s Day is sure to bring you luck! And this lucky soup has a generous amount of sausage and peppers, so it’s fairly low in net carbs, but see suggestions in the post for an even lower-carb version.
PIN Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Soup to try it later!
Black-Eyed Pea Soup with sausage and bell peppers is a perfect soup to make for good luck on New Year’s Day, and this soup is delicious too. I’ve been cooking black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day for several years now, and I can promise you, it has definitely brought me good luck. And this is a pretty carb-conscious soup too, and you could easily make this lower in carbs by using more sausage and peppers and less black-eyed peas. If you’re cooking black-eyed peas for New Year’s Day, let us know in the comments how you’re fixing them this year.
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What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- precooked sausage
- onion
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- Dried Thyme (affiliate link) or ground thyme
- Dried Oregano (affiliate link)
- frozen black-eyed peas
- chicken broth
- water
- red bell pepper
- green bell pepper
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- sherry vinegar, or any mild vinegar
- additional sherry vinegar and olive oil for serving (optional)
Why do people eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day?
Black-Eyed Peas are a traditional food that’s eaten to greet the New Year in the United States, especially in the southern states. They’re often eaten with collard greens in a dish called Hopping John, and the peas (which expand when they’re cooked) symbolize prosperity and the collard greens symbolize money. Legends about the luck-enhancing properties of these foods date back to the Civil War in the South. Read more about eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day.
How can you make this recipe lower in carbs?
If you check the nutritional information you’ll see this lucky soup is relatively low in net carbs for a soup with beans. If you prefer a version with even fewer carbs, just use more sausage and less black-eyed peas.
Want more tasty ideas for using black-eyed peas?
The dishes I’ve probably made most for New Year’s Day are probably my favorite Hopping John Soup, Black-Eyed Pea Hummus, or Black-Eyed Pea Salad.
How to Make Black-Eyed Pea Soup:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)
- I’m a fan of frozen black-eyed peas, which do need to be cooked but cook more quickly than dried black-eyed peas. If you can’t find them, you can use the dried ones but you need to allow much longer more cooking time.
- I used Sabatino’s Chicken Sausage with Mozzarella, Artichokes and Garlic, but if you can’t find those use any chicken or turkey sausage with garlic. (Be sure to choose a gluten-free sausage if needed.)
- Slice the sausage and saute in a little olive oil until they’re well-browned.
- While the sausage cooks, chop the onion and mince the garlic. Remove the sausage when it’s browned, heat a little more olive oil and saute onions for a few minutes. Then add the garlic, thyme, and oregano and cook 1-2 minutes more.
- Add the frozen (or dried) black-eyed peas, water, and chicken stock and simmer 30 minutes or until the peas are starting to soften. (Dried peas may need as much as 1-2 hours to start to soften. They will cook a little more quickly if they’re soaked overnight.)
- While the peas are simmering, remove seeds and finely chop the red and green bell pepper.
- Add the diced peppers and sausage to the soup pot and cook about 45 minutes more (or longer if the peas are not fully softened.)
- When the soup is done, season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper, stir in the sherry vinegar, and serve hot, with olive oil and sherry vinegar to drizzle on each bowl if desired.
More Lucky Black-Eyed Peas for the New Year:
Check out Black-Eyed Peas Recipes for Good Luck in the New Year for more lucky food ideas! There’s also a great collection of Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas Recipes on my other site.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil
- one pound precooked sausage, sliced about 3/8 inch thick (see notes)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 T minced garlic
- 1 tsp. dried thyme or ground thyme
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 16 oz. package frozen black-eyed peas (see notes)
- 6 cups chicken broth (see notes)
- 1 cup water (and more as needed)
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and finely diced
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 2 T sherry vinegar (or any mild vinegar)
- additional sherry vinegar and olive oil for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tsp. olive in oil in a large soup pot and cook the sausage over medium-high heat until it’s nicely browned on all side, about 6-8 minutes. Don’t rush the browning step. Remove sausage to a bowl and set aside.
- While the sausage browns, chop the onion and mince the garlic.
- After you remove the sausage, turn heat to medium and add 2 tsp. more olive oil. When the oil is hot add the onions and cook until partially softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Then add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and dried oregano and saute a minute or two more.
- Add the frozen black-eyed peas, chicken stock, and 1 cup water and bring to a low boil.
- Turn heat to low and simmer about 30 minutes, or until the peas are starting to soften. (If you’re using dried black-eyed peas they will need longer cooking time to start softening, as much as 1-2 hours.)
- When the peas are partly soft, add the diced red and green bell peppers and sausage and simmer about 45 minutes more, or until the peas are done to your liking. If the soup seems too thick, add a little more water as it cooks.
- Season the soup with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste and stir in the 2 T sherry vinegar.
- Serve soup hot, with additional olive oil and sherry vinegar to drizzle on at serving time if desired.
Notes
I used Sabatinos Chicken Sausage with Mozzarella, Artichokes and Garlic, but use any chicken, turkey, or pork sausage you prefer.
You can also use dried black-eyed peas, which will take longer to cook. or canned black-eyed peas which will cook more quickly than the frozen ones.
I used my homemade chicken stock, but chicken broth from a can or carton will be fine.
Recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 295Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 1240mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 13g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Black-Eyed Pea Soup is not that high in net carbs because of the generous amount of sausage and peppers; check the nutritional information. If you want even fewer carbs just use less black-eyed peas and more sausage and peppers. This lucky soup would be approved for any phase of the original South Beach Diet and other low-glycemic eating plans.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes for more ideas like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was posted in 2012, and I’ve made it for many New Year’s Day parties since then. It was last updated with more information in 2021.
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Keto Short Rib Chili
Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.
There’s a definite chill in the air. Can you feel it? Well, maybe not in some parts of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is on its way, if not already here.
The best part of fall is the comfort food and there is no food more comforting than this short rib chili. Well, maybe my Shrimp and Bacon Chowder. Or perhaps my keto Cream of Mushroom Soup. And my Buffalo Chicken Soup is also pretty darn spectacular.
But this keto chili recipe definitely makes the short list.
Chili is and always has been one of my favorite foods, because even not very good chili is pretty darn comforting when you’re cold and hungry. How can you go wrong with meat cooked slowly in rich spices and a thick tomato broth? You can’t, that’s all. You can’t go wrong.
And the crazy part is that while I make chili all. the. time, I don’t actually have a good keto chili recipe here on All Day I Dream About Food. Until now, that is.
What makes the best keto chili?
Well, what really makes good chili is a matter of opinion and taste. And probably a few feuds as well. Everyone has their own take on the best way to make chili.
In my experience, a slow simmered chili recipe is best, as it allows the flavors to develop and intensify over time. So don’t be fooled by promises of “fast and easy”. Good chili is usually easy to make but it takes time to cook.
Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb items like beans, though. That goes almost without saying, because beans are high in carbs and many consider them inflammatory. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, since it’s surprisingly high carb.
Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. I like to keep my chili to less than 5g total carbs per serving, so I use a single can of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes help bring out the best flavor.
But the focus of a good keto chili recipe should always be the meat and the spices. Use beef with a high percentage of fat for a satisfying meal, and be generous with the chili, cumin, and garlic.
Can you make keto chili ahead of time?
I find myself wanting to answer this question with a smart ass comment like “Is the pope Catholic?”. Because chili is perhaps the best make ahead meal on the planet.
It’s one of those dishes that seems to actually get better when it’s eaten the next day or even a few days later. And one of the benefits of keto chili is that there are no beans to get mushy as they sit and soften. So it’s just as good or better than the day you made it.
So go ahead and make a huge pot of this short rib chili. This particular recipe serves 10 people. Let it cool to room temperature and then split it up however you see fit. You can do individual servings, or portion it out for your family size.
The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. We froze our leftovers back in May and I just fed my family the second portion about a month ago!
Because it contains acidic ingredients like tomatoes, I recommend storing in glass containers if you have them. If not, good BPA-Free tupperware works too.
Tips for making Short Rib Chili
Short ribs are ideal for comfort food dishes like this, because they are fatty and rich, and become incredibly tender with slow braising.
Always brown the ribs first: This step adds 10 minutes or so, but it’s worth it. Browning the meat in lard or oil helps bring out the best flavor, before the liquids are added. Otherwise, you are essentially just eating stewed meat. Transfer the ribs to a plate while making the rest of the chili.
Sweat the onions and other veggies: While I do keep the onion to a minimum, it definitely helps add flavor. So add the onion and green pepper to the pot and sauté in the oils and fats with a little bit of salt. This will help them release their juices and flavor.
Add the spices into the hot oil: Before adding any liquids into the pot, you want to briefly sauté the garlic, jalapeño, and spices in the hot oil. This enhances and intensifies the flavor.
Adjust the heat to your liking: My husband and I like our chili pretty spicy but our kids have more tender palates. So we keep the heat at a medium level. I always add the seeds from the jalapeño but you can leave them out if you want less spice. You can also leave out the cayenne. Or you can add more jalapeño and cayenne too.
Now add the liquids and the meat: Once the spices and garlic are fragrant, stir in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer before adding the meat.
Slow braise in the oven: You’re looking at a good two to three hours of cooking, but this time is completely inactive. You can be doing lots of other things during this time. Slow braising makes the meat from the short ribs fall off the bone and shred more easily.
Doesn’t this keto short rib chili sound like the perfect comfort food?
Check out my Keto Soups & Stews cookbook for more delicious comfort food recipes.

Keto Short Rib Chili
Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: keto chili, keto chili recipe, short rib chili
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 428kcal
Ingredients
- 3 lb bone in short ribs
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup bacon fat, lard, or other high-heat oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 large green pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper minced (leave the seeds in for more heat)
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
- ⅓ cup beef bone broth
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300F and season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.
In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt the bacon fat or lard. Once hot, add half the short ribs and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining short ribs. Transfer to the plate.
Add the onion and pepper to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and cook another minute, until fragrant.
Stir in the roasted tomatoes and bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add the short ribs back into the pot, cover and transfer to the oven.
Cook 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs, shred the meat and return the meat to the pot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite chili toppings.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Short Rib Chili
Amount Per Serving (1 serving = about 1 cup)
Calories 428
Calories from Fat 319
% Daily Value*
Fat 35.4g54%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1.2g5%
Protein 22.6g45%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
- Calories N/A
- Total Fat N/A
- Saturated Fat N/A
- Cholesterol N/A
- Sodium N/A
- Total Carbohydrates N/A
- Protein N/A
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