Cabbage and black eyed peas with frozen black eyed peas or canned is made on the stove like our Dutch Oven cabbage, but more delicious. Serve as a side dish or vegetarian main meal for dinner, it’s a family favorite for sure.
This easy black eyed peas recipe can be made for New Years Day for good luck, or year round as a healthy dish that can go with any protein. Made on the stovetop it is done in under 30 minutes so you can get the rest of your meal ready at the same time if desired.
Canned Black Eyed Peas and Cabbage
You can certainly use either defrosted from frozen or canned since either are precooked peas and a convenient option for enjoying this nutritious legume without the need for soaking and long cooking times.
We have a lot of cabbage recipes on our site. Once I hit 40 I loved it in all different forms, in all different ways. Of course it pairs well with corned beef but it really goes well with just about anything. Add legumes and you get a hearty dish that can be enjoyed as is y’all.
Frozen Black Eyed Peas and Cabbage
While you can cook these frozen directly, it’s a good idea to thaw them first to ensure more even cooking. You can thaw them by placing the frozen peas in the refrigerator overnight or by using the defrost function on your microwave.
After thawing, or if you’re cooking them directly from frozen, rinse under cold running water to remove any ice crystals or excess frost. Now if you wanted to make slow cooker cabbage you could throw these right in at the beginning, toss together and low and slow they will get tender together.
Can you add ham?
You could but in this case I would add it diced. If you had hocks I would instead follow our Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas and Ham Hock instructions because those take longer for the meat to pull away from the bone.
Add enough water to cover the peas by at least 2 inches. Optionally, you can season the water with salt, pepper, garlic, onion, or other desired seasonings for added flavor. Start with a teaspoon of salt and adjust to taste. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
How long does it take to cook black eyed peas on the stove?
Allow to simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until they are tender. Cooking time may vary depending on the size of the peas and whether you thawed them beforehand. Taste test to check for doneness. They should be soft but not mushy.
If you wanted to know How to Boil Cabbage separately we have instructions for you here. I get it, sometimes people don’t like their food to touch (my husband) so separately works too if you just. Whatever. 😉
Ingredient Notes
To make things easier we are going to thaw some black eyed peas and use those. You could use canned and drained for the same timing too but I think those turn out a bit softer and I like a bit of a “bite” to them.
Green Cabbage head should be small, thinly sliced, or thick if you want them to remain somewhat firm.
I will typically slice a small onion to add in there for flavor and texture. It will get soft when you cook them in some olive oil (or avocado oil works too) as well as when it cooks with the other items so likely your kids won’t notice they are there. 😉
You do need a few cups of liquid. For this I like to use either vegetable broth or chicken flavor to add more yum. More will make this into a soup texture and less will become more of a unstuffed cabbage casserole of sorts.
To add flavor the seasonings I use always start with some minced garlic. That is always a must for us. In this case I also included some Smoked paprika, Cayenne pepper for a bit of heat as well as some salt and pepper to taste
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add more salt, pepper, garlic powder or other spices according to your preference. Once everything is cooked to your liking, remove the skillet from heat. Serve the Black-eyed Peas and Cabbage hot.
Variations and Substitutions
If you’d rather cook Black Eyed Peas and Rice as a meal you would want to cook separate from one another. This will achieve the best texture for each one, then folded together at the end when served will give you the duo you want.
A true Southern tradition served as is or this is How Long to Cook Collard Greens with it. You can in fact add a ham bone to either one of these to add meat and a smoky flavor to the dish.
You could use canned black eyed peas, drained too. If you really wanted to start from scratch this is how long to cook dry black-eyed peas first. This would add an hour or so before you’d be able to proceed to steps below.
Black Eyed Peas and Cabbage Recipe
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven or deep pot
- 1 cutting board
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- 2 cup black eyed peas, thawed from frozen, canned or soaked overnight and cooked to tender
- 1 head cabbage, small, thinly sliced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 cup vegetable broth, or chicken
- 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Thaw the frozen black-eyed peas if they're not already thawed. (could use canned and drained too) Slice the cabbage thinly, and chop the onion.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onion turns translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
- Stir in the smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Mix well to coat the onions and garlic with the spices. Add the thawed black-eyed peas and sliced cabbage to the skillet. Stir to combine everything evenly.
- Pour in the vegetable or chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet or pot, and let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until the black-eyed peas are tender and the cabbage is cooked through. Stir occasionally during this time.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add more salt, pepper, or spices according to your preference. Once everything is cooked to your liking, remove the skillet from heat. Serve the Black-eyed Peas and Cabbage hot.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
