Hearty Pulled Pork and Green Chile Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Hearty pulled pork and green chile black-eyed pea soup is a delicious twist to New Year’s traditions!
In fact, you’ll want to add this to your menu anytime you have leftover pulled pork, rib meat, smoked turkey, or ham.

Cooking up a big pot of bean soup is economical and creates easy heat and eat meals to stock the freezer. And it couldn’t be easier when smoky pulled pork and earthy green chiles bring all the flavor you need!

Homemade smoked pulled pork with our Homemade Pork Rub is a family favorite around our house, but you can save some time and use ready-made pulled pork for this soup too.
(Just be sure to look for antibiotic-free pork and without sauce.)

One advantage of making soup with black-eyed peas is that they cook a little faster than other beans which means the time from stove to table is quicker.

This bean soup really tops the list in simplicity and I think you’ll love the smoky pork and green chile kick that comes with it.

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Do you have to soak black-eyed peas?

In short, no, you do not have to soak black-eyed peas, though I still do. That means these beans really do offer the best of both worlds—if you remember to soak them, great, but if you forgot to soak you can still make this pulled pork & green chile black-eyed pea soup without a hitch.

Why I prefer soaking all beans before cooking

• Soaking beans does not require much hands-on time
• Soaking beans saves cooking time, more or less depending on the type of bean 
• Soaking beans results in fewer split skins or “blow-out” beans
• Soaking and changing the water makes them a little easier to digest (my personal experience)

Quick soak method:

If you forgot to soak overnight but still want to reduce cooking time, follow these simple steps.

1. Place the black-eyed pea in a pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches.
2. Boil for 2 minutes. 
3. Remove pot from the heat and cover with a lid.
4. Soak black-eyed peas for 1 hour, drain and rinse.

A note about quick-soaking—while it’s called a quick soak, it seems like more work to me. I set a reminder to get the beans in water the night before because in the hour I’m waiting for the “quick-soak” I can have the soup done the next day. Just sayin’.

Why I don’t use my InstantPot for making this hearty soup.

If I’m cooking beans alone to freeze or to use in multiple recipes I’ll use my Instant Pot.

However, since I adopted a Monthly Cooking lifestyle long ago, when I make soup it’s always more than my InstantPot can handle.

It also doesn’t save much time in the process. By the time the IP comes to pressure, cooks, and releases pressure, the time difference isn’t significant.

Even the largest 8 quart InstantPot only holds 5 1/2 quarts. Because soup freezes so well, the bigger time-saver is to double the recipe. That saves shopping, prep, cook time, and clean up time all around.

If you still want to use your Instant Pot to make this soup, Simply Recipes offers a great guide for cooking beans in a pressure cooker.

Recipe Tips

• ALWAYS use gloves when handling peppers.
• If you purchase ready-made smoked pulled pork make sure it does not have barbecue sauce on it as that will change the flavor.
• A combination of fresh chiles and canned chiles creates added bulk and appealing texture to the soup.
• Use any favorite chile you prefer for added heat—the poblano and hatch green chile combo in this black-eyed pea soup is medium-mild heat.
• Homemade Stock makes all soups better—make it with chicken, turkey, or beef stock.
• Make-ahead and freeze for quick heat and eat weeknight meals.

Recipe Variations

• Substitute turnips, parsnips, or potatoes for the carrots or celery.
• Roast the fresh poblanos before chopping.
• Substitute beef, mushroom, or vegetable stock for the chicken stock.
• Substitute ham, smoked turkey, or ham hocks for the pulled pork.
• Stir in 1 to 2 cups torn kale the last 15 minutes for a healthy vibe.

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Hearty Pulled Pork & Green Chile Black Eyed Pea Soup

Smoky pork and earthy green chiles are a perfect match for black-eyed peas in this medium-mild soup.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Bean Soaking Time12 hours hrs

Total Time13 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Beans, Main Dish, Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12

Author: Judy Purcell

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups dried black-eyed peas (soaked)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sea salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 large onion chopped
• ▢ 2 stalks celery chopped
• ▢ 3 large carrots peeled and chopped
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 3 poblano peppers diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• ▢ 8 cups Basic Chicken Stock or 12 cups broth
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 1 pound smoked pulled pork
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups diced green chiles — 505 fire-roasted chiles

Spice Mix

• ▢ 2 teaspoons oregano
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cumin
• ▢ 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• ▢ 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ Pinch cayenne or more for added spicy heat

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Instructions

• Dissolve 2 tablespoons salt in 6 quarts of water in a large pot. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse well.
• Chop onion, carrot, and celery in a food processor, pulsing just enough to dice. Dice poblano peppers by hand (be sure to use gloves when handling peppers).
• Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and cook onion, carrot, and celery begin to brown and caramelize. Add the diced poblanos and garlic to the pot and cook until fragrant.
• Add soaked and rinsed beans and bay leaf to the pot; cover with 6 cups of basic chicken stock and 4 cups of water or enough to cover with 2-3 inches above ingredients to allow beans to absorb liquid. Add more stock or water, if needed.
• Heat on high until boiling. Reduce heat to a strong simmer and cook 45 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine spice mix ingredients. Add all the spice mix, pulled pork, and diced green chiles to the pot. Add more of the chicken stock to thin or until desired consistency is reached (about 2 cups). Bring back to a simmer and cook another 10 to 15 minutes to meld flavors. Taste and season with salt or pepper as needed.
• Serve with cornbread and honey-butter.

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Notes

Recipe Tips

• ALWAYS use gloves when handling peppers.
• If you purchase ready-made smoked pulled pork make sure it does not have barbecue sauce on it as that will change the flavor.
• A combination of fresh chiles and canned chiles creates added bulk and appealing texture to the soup.
• Use any favorite chile you prefer for added heat—the poblano and hatch green chile combo in this black-eyed pea soup is medium-mild heat.
• Homemade Stock makes all soups better—make it with chicken, turkey, or beef stock.
• Make-ahead and freeze for quick heat and eat weeknight meals.

Equipment

Soup Pot

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 652mg | Potassium: 615mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 3384IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 4mg

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