Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo transforms leftover Hoppin' John or canned black-eyed peas into a rich Southern Gumbo. Imagine a dark roux, the holy trinity, and smoked sausage combined with flavorful Hoppin' John!
Draining the peas, using the seasoned cooking liquid, and adding them toward the end keep the gumbo flavorful without becoming mushy. Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo is the ideal bridge from New Year's Day to the festive Carnival season.
Ready in: 1 hour and 30 minutes | Serves: 6 | Difficulty: Intermediate (roux required) | Make‑ahead friendly: Yes | Leftover friendly: Yes
New Year's Day in the South is celebrated with Hoppin' John, black-eyed peas simmered low and slow. It's served with greens and cornbread for luck, prosperity, and tradition. Enter Carnival season, just a few days later.
Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo is the perfect bridge between New Year's Day and the start of Carnival Season.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No waste: It creatively uses leftover Hoppin' John intentionally, not as an afterthought.
- No Mush: Cooked peas are added at the end to prevent them from becoming mushy.
- Flavorful Sausage: It uses smoked sausage, cooked separately to manage the fat.
- Amazing Leftovers: The gumbo tastes even better the next day, and can be frozen without losing flavor or texture.
Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
- The sausage: My favorite is Conecuh Original Smoked Sausage.
- The roux: Made with vegetable oil and all-purpose flour.
- The holy trinity: Onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic.
- The seasoning: Cajun seasoning for that authentic New Orleans flavor.
- The liquid: Chicken broth and liquid from the Hoppin' John.
- The star of the show: Leftover Hoppin' John.
Making the Gumbo - Step-by-Step
- The sausage: Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to drain well. Discard the fat.
- The roux: Add the vegetable oil and flour to a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly until the roux reaches a deep peanut butter or milk chocolate color, 15 to 20 minutes.
- The holy trinity: Stir in the onions, bell pepper, and celery. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until tender. Then, add the garlic and Cajun seasoning. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- The liquid and sausage: Stir in the chicken broth and cook until thickened. Then add the reserved liquid from the Hoppin' John and the cooked smoked sausage. Stir to combine the ingredients. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
- The black-eyed peas (Hoppin' John): Stir in the drained black-eyed peas. Cook for 10 minutes or until heated through.
- Season: Taste the gumbo, and if necessary, add a bit of salt. I added ½ teaspoon.
This Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo isn't about reinventing tradition. Rather, it's about extending it.
Black-eyed peas welcome the new year. Gumbo transitions us into Carnival Season.
If you love intentional leftovers and Southern food with a story, this delicious Black-Eyed Pea gumbo is the answer. Yum!
Chula's Test Kitchen Tips
- If you've never made roux before, it might sound intimidating. However, it's easy to make if you're intentional and watchful.
- The flour-to-liquid ratio in this recipe may seem excessive. However, the thickening power of the roux diminishes as it darkens. The reason is that the high, sustained heat required to brown flour causes a physical and chemical breakdown of the flour's starch chains.
- Even though it's an extra pan to clean, don't be tempted to cook the sausage in the same pot as the gumbo. The reason is that the sausage renders a lot of fat and deposits a significant amount of fond on the bottom of the pan, which can interfere with the roux.
- In the recipe, I include that you should stir the roux continuously. However, I generally stir occasionally for the first five minutes until there is a physical change in the roux. At that point, I stir continuously.
- I used a Le Creuset 5-quart (26 cm) Dutch oven.
- Wait until the end to add salt. The ingredients already contain salt. I've found that ½ teaspoon is perfect for my taste.
- If the gumbo seems too thick after the liquid is added, wait until the end to add any more liquid. As the gumbo cooks, it tends to thin slightly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Use two 15-ounce cans of drained and rinsed beans, and increase the chicken broth to 3 cups. Adjust the seasonings if necessary.
Black-eyed peas are already fully cooked. Adding them late prevents split skins and keeps the gumbo from becoming mushy.
Absolutely! Most commercially available andouille sausage is fully cooked and smoked during production and therefore doesn't need to be cooked separately, like the Conecuh smoked sausage that I used.
Filé powder is optional, but can be added at the end. It adds some thickness and subtle flavor.
This Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo is even better the next day. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat gently.
Other Carnival-Themed Main Dishes
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Black Eyed Pea Gumbo: New Years to Carnival Season
Equipment
- Large Skillet
- 5-quart (26 cm) Dutch oven or heavy pot
Ingredients
- 4 cups leftover Hoppin' John (See Tip 1)
- 1 pound (16 ounces) smoked sausage sliced ¼-inch thick (See Tip 2)
- ½ cup (3.5 ounces) vegetable oil (See Tip 3)
- ½ cup (2.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped onions (1 small to medium onion)
- ½ cup green bell pepper, chopped
- ½ cup celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (See Tip 4)
- 2 cups (16 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
- Retained liquid from Hoppin' John
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt (See Tip 5)
Instructions
- Drain the leftover Hoppin' John. Retain the liquid to add to the gumbo. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until browned and the fat has been rendered, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain well. Discard the fat.
- Add the vegetable oil and flour to a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly until the roux reaches a deep peanut butter or milk chocolate color, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add the onions, bell pepper, and celery. Stir to combine, then cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender.
- Add the garlic and Cajun seasoning. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth, reserved Hoppin' John liquid, and cooked sausage. Cook, stirring until thickened. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the drained Hoppin' John and salt. Cook for 10 minutes, or until heated through.
- Adjust the seasonings. Garnish with chopped green onion tops. Serve with rice.
- Yield: 6 servings. (See Tip 6)
Video
Tips/Notes
- You can substitute 2 15-ounce cans of black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed, for the Hoppin' John. Increase the chicken broth to 3 cups, and adjust the seasonings.
- I always use Conecuh Original smoked sausage. However, feel free to substitute andouille sausage. Unlike Conecuh sausage, which needs to be cooked, andouille sausage is fully cooked, so you can skip the cooking step.
- I used peanut oil because that's what I had on hand. However, feel free to use whatever high-heat vegetable oil you have on hand.
- I used Emeril's Essence for the Cajun seasoning, but feel free to use your favorite Cajun seasoning. Start with 1 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning and add additional Cajun seasoning to taste.
- Wait until the end to add the salt. The other ingredients contain salt, so use additional salt sparingly. ½ teaspoon was the perfect amount for my taste.
- Leftovers are excellent. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat gently.
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