# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 8 oz smoked bacon, diced
→ Legumes
02 - 2 cups dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and drained (or 3 cans [15 oz each] black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained)
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Liquids
07 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
→ Seasonings
08 - 1 bay leaf
09 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme
10 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
11 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 - Salt, to taste
→ Garnish
13 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
# How-To Steps:
01 - In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
02 - Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté in the bacon fat until softened, about 5–6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in the black-eyed peas, chicken broth, bay leaf, thyme, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Bring to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30–35 minutes if using soaked dried peas, or 20 minutes if using canned peas, until the peas are tender and flavors meld.
05 - Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with reserved bacon and chopped parsley before serving.
