Quick Black-Eyed Pea Soup | Instant Pot recipe
Instant Pot Black-Eyed Pea Soup is a quick and satisfying dinner made with dried black-eyed peas, carrots, and okra, plus a ham hock for a rich and smoky flavor.

Why You’ll Love Black-Eyed Pea Soup
This is a super-quick one-pot meal that’s deeply satisfying and warming for the winter. It’s an easy dinner to make in your Instant Pot / pressure cooker with pantry ingredients.
We’ve been making this black-eye pea soup during the winter for years. If you’re new to cooking with dried beans or peas, be sure to check out our how-to post about making a pot of black beans in the Instant Pot.
This is one of our go-to Instant Pot soup recipes with beans, along with Mexican Pinto Bean Soup, Cajun 15 Bean Soup, and Smoky Ham Hock and Pinto Bean Soup.
Update: We first made this recipe as an adaptation from a recipe in the cookbook Cooking Under Pressure by Lorna Sass. We’ve since updated the post with new tips and photos!
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED
Here’s what you need for this hearty black-eyed pea soup:
- Onion and garlic. These form the flavor base of your soup.
- Chicken broth. You can use store-bought broth or make your own in the Instant Pot. If you really want to up the ham flavor, you can also use water with ham base.
- Ham hock. This is optional, but adds a deliciously smoky and rich flavor to your soup.
- Black-eyed peas. Use dried peas, and be sure to check them for any debris and rinse them well.
- Carrots. Peel your carrots and slice them evenly.
- Okra. Let your frozen okra defrost first.
How to Make Black-Eyed Pea Soup in an Instant Pot
✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
Start by cooking the onion in the pressure cooking pot on Sauté. When the onion is tender and translucent, add the garlic and cook it for another minute.
Next, add the black eye peas, broth, and the ham hock, if you’re using it. Cook this on high pressure for 10 minutes. After the cook time ends, release the pressure with a manual pressure release, and carefully remove the lid.
Remove the ham hock from the Instant Pot and add the carrots and okra. Cut the meat off the ham bone and add it back into the soup, along with the tabasco or hot sauce. Select Saute to bring the soup to a simmer until the vegetables are cooked, about four minutes.
Finally, taste your soup and add salt or more hot sauce if you like. Serve and enjoy!
Important Tips for Making Black-Eyed Pea Soup
- We prefer to use the smoked ham hock, which we buy precooked at the grocery store. We find them at our local grocery store and have seen them at Walmart as well. You can also use a smoked pork shank or even post-Christmas ham bones, too.
- Before pressure cooking, score the thick skin of the ham hock with a sharp knife to make it easier to remove after cooking. Just make a cross-hatch pattern on the ham skin.
Frequently Asked Questions about Black-Eyed Pea Soup
Store leftover black eye pea soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
Yes, you can freeze the cooled, cooked soup for up to six months.
Frozen, defrosted green beans are a good substitute if you’re not a fan of okra.
No, there’s no need to soak your dried peas for this recipe. They become tender and soft with just 10 minutes of pressure cooking.
MORE Instant Pot Soup Recipes
Try these other warm and cozy soup recipes in your pressure cooker next:
- Instant Pot 15 Bean Soup is loaded with healthy legumes and a deeply savory broth.
- Chicken Noodle Soup is a classic, feel-good Instant Pot recipe perfect for sick (and healthy!) days.
- Pressure Cooker Beef Stew is hearty, rich, and made with tender beef and potatoes.
Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!
Quick Black-Eyed Pea Soup with Ham
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion coarsely chopped
- 1 large garlic clove finely minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups dried black-eyed peas picked over and rinsed very well
- 1 smoked ham hock optional
- 3 large carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 bag 10 oz frozen (defrosted) slice okra
- 1 to 2 cups roughly chopped trimmed collard greens or spinach optional
- Tabasco or cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
- Salt if needed, to taste
Instructions
- Select Sauté to preheat the pressure cooking pot. When hot, add oil and onion and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot. Add the black-eyed peas, ham hock, and collard greens (if using). Lock lid in place, select High Pressure, 10 minutes cook time and press start. When the cook time ends, use a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
- Remove the ham hock and set aside.* Stir in the carrots, okra, and spinach (if using). Return the lid to the pressure cooking pot and allow the veggies to cook until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. (However, if your carrots are sliced thick or the okra isn't fully defrosted, you may need to select Sauté and simmer with the lid off to ensure they cook through.)
- While the veggies are simmering, cut the meat off of the ham hock, and stir it into the soup. Then add the Tabasco (if using) or cayenne, and adjust the seasonings if necessary. (I added about a teaspoon of salt and a 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.)
- Serve hot with a slice of cornbread.
Notes
Nutrition
FOR MORE FROM PRESSURE COOKING TODAY
🥘 Browse our collection of the best pressure cooker / Instant Pot recipes.
💬 Follow Pressure Cooking Today on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.
👥 Join our Electric Pressure Cooker Facebook Group. Our positive community of pressure cooking fans use all brands of electric pressure cookers, so it’s a great resource if you have questions about your particular brand.
Can I use anything in place of the bullion ham base?
If this soup is as delicious as the photos make it look, it will be wonderful. Barbara recommends an optional ham hock and while it is, I’d definitely recommend using one, or even better, use two as the ham on the hock is a nice addition, though each hock doesn’t have much ham on it. I might even consider getting a thick slice of ham at the deli, cutting it up and adding it to the soup.
The recipe also calls for chicken broth which is fine, but I’d use Better Than Bouillon’s ham base instead as I think this would be tastier for this particular soup. I have and use a number of the Better Than Bouillon bases. What I like about them instead of using canned chicken broth, for example, is that you can create the exact amount of broth you need. It seems when I use canned chicken broth, the recipe may call for a cup of broth and I’ll have some left over. I refrigerate the leftover broth thinking I’ll use it in the next day or so but don’t and end up having to discard it. Besides in this recipe I think ham broth would be tastier than chicken broth.
Can this soup be made in a 3 qt Instant Pot without making any recipe changes? Thanx
I just made this today, for good luck in the New Year. It was delicious. I did have to simmer longer than 3-4 minutes to get the okra and carrots tender, probably about 10 minutes.
Thanks for sharing Cindi! Glad it was a hit. I hope the new year brings you all good things!
I have to say you have one of the best pressure cooker web sites. Nicely organized and great photos. I use my instant pot constantly. Your recipes look wonderful.
That’s so nice – thanks Catherine!
I just saw this Catherine. I agree completely. Every time I learn that someone has purchased an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker I recommend that they check the Pressure Cooking Today website. Lots of information for beginners and great recipes as well. Not only that, Barbara is very responsive to user questions.
Since nobody in my house likes okra——can you suggest another vegetable ? I thought of edammame.
I am also a newbie to the wonders of the electric pressure cooker ! Wish me luck !
Hi Suzanne – fresh green beans would be a good substitute.
If you didn’t want to add green beans or another vegetable you could simply omit the okra if your family doesn’t care for it.
Happy New Year 2015! I’m going make this as traditional mom requires it every new years day. I have a question. l have seen other pressure cooker recipes that soak and rinse the peas over night or at least a few hours and pressure cook for 30 minutes but your directions only say 10 minutes. Is there something I missed?
Thank you and Happy New Year
Hi Gianni – I think you’d end up with super mushy black-eyed peas cooking them for that long, especially after soaking. I did some checking about soaking http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/929862 – they said not to soak, and also consulted Hip Pressure’s timing chart and she recommends an even shorter cook time. So I think you’ll be happy with my recommended cook time, but if you wanted softer peas, you could certainly lock the lid again and cook them a bit longer. Happy New Year to you too!
I would love to make this. I’m new to pressure cooking. I have a Instant Pot and when I made beef stew I added about 3 cups of gravy. When it was done I opened the release valve to let the pressure out. Along with the steam the gravy was spitting out. I assumed I added to much liquid.I’m concerned about adding the 6 cups of liquid this soup calls for.
If liquid is coming out of the valve you should wait for the pressure to release naturally – close the valve and turn off the pressure cooker. I’ve found with the pressure cooker off, the pressure will usually release within 10 minutes.
Probably the amount of liquid you used in the gravy wasn’t what cause the problem, it was the thickener in the gravy which caused it to foam. It’s best to add thickener after you’re done pressure cooking.
You shouldn’t have a probably using the 6 cups of chicken broth called for in this recipe.
Thanks for the great question.
Sounds wonderful Barbara, I’m going to have to try that!
This looks comforting and delicious. I haven’t had ham hocks for so long, love to see it as an ingredient!
My husband would LOVE if I made him this!
oh this sounds amazing! we would love this here in Tennessee! will have to give this a try!!!
I really love this recipe! It combines so many of our favorite Southern elements – black eyed peas, okra, Tabasco, and of course smoked ham. I’ll definitely be making this very soon.
Thanks Lana!