Hello friends!
We’re a few days past Labor Day and that means we’re instantly ready for stews and sweaters and pumpkin with our spice. I get it. We’re ready for any kind of familiar change that will liven up and steady this heck of a year. I don’t really mind a few more weeks in my white dress and a few more steamy walks down to the river but heck if I’m ready to make it out of fire and hurricane season.
Let’s fall back into some of fall’s comforts. It might be a little early but that just means there will be plenty of time to settle in.
Here’s what you’ll need for today’s hearty dinner idea:
• A few links of Italian sausage uncased. You could also totally use a vegetarian sausage alternative. For another easily vegetarian comfort dish see: Caramelized Mushroom and Dumplings.
• Frozen and thawed black eyed peas. (Canned would work just fine too – the beans will just break down a bit more during simmering.)
• Onions and garlic and thyme to make everything taste stewy.
• Chicken or vegetable stock.
• For the dumplings: cornmeal and flour, leavening and salt, buttermilk and green onions. Add any other herb or cheese you might think is nice, too!
Let’s start by browning the sausage.
We’re building flavors here and I like to start by giving the sausage a hard sear – so much that it sticks to the bottom of the pan a bit. That’s ok. We’ll get all those delicious bits up.
Add the onion and saute until the onion is soft, translucent and beginning to brown.
This takes about 5, maybe 7 minutes.
Add the peas, thawed and drained.
Give the mixture a good stir and you’ll start to see some of the browned bits come up off the bottom.
Add the broth. Add the thyme.
Give it time but bring everything to a low simmer.
While the beany soup comes to a simmer, hustle together the dumpling batter.
Start with cornmeal, flour, leavening and salt.
Give it all a whisk and add the cold butter chunks.
Once the cold butter is broken down into bits, toss in the green onions.
Chives, parsley, or thyme would be good substitutes or additions to these dumplings. Really – add anything that sounds like it belongs. Grated cheddar even? Sure!
Pour in the buttermilk and stir into a wet but smooth batter.
It’s ok if there are a few lumps from the herbs, but please no lumps of dry ingredients hiding out in our batter.
Make sure the soup is simmering and using two big spoons or an ice cream scoop, dollop eight or nine spoonfuls of batter into the simmering liquid.
Cover the pot, turn down the heat, and wait for the magic to happen.
Let the dumplings simmer for 10 minutes before removing the lid.
They’ll be puffy and float. Feel free to remove one of the dumplings and cut through it to test its doneness. Add a good dash of fresh herbs just before serving.
Generously spoon into bowls and add plenty of hot sauce.
This is the kind of dinner you enjoy on the couch with a movie. Settle in. Let it be cozy.
Photos with my friend Jon Melendez. This recipe is adapted from a Weight Watchers Magazine recipe I found at my mom’s house. Thanks Mom! Thanks Weight Watchers!
PrintBlack Eyed Peas with Cornbread Dumplings
A warm and comforting weeknight dinner fall!
- Prep Time: 35
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 1x
Ingredients
- For the Black Eyed Peas:
- 2 Italian sausage link, uncased
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 clove garlic, minced (a scant 1 tablespoon)
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 (16 ounce) package frozen black eyed peas (about 2 1/4 cups)
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste if desired
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- For the Dumplings:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- For Garnish:
- Hot sauce
- Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven (I used a 10-inch wide pan) over medium heat. Add the uncased sausage and cook, breaking the sausage up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Once the sausage has released some oil and started to cook through add the onions. Cook until onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add chicken stock, peas, water, thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, partially cover the pan and reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- While the beans simmer make the cornbread dumplings. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter cubes and break the butter bits into the dry ingredients until the butter bits resemble oat flakes. Toss in the scallions. Add the butter milk and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Once the beans have simmered to tender, spoon the cornbread batter into the simmering beans, making 8-12 dumplings. Cover and allow to simmer for 8 – 10 minutes. Remove from heat and enjoy warm with a sprinkle of parsley and hot sauce.
- I find that this dish is best the day its made but you can store leftovers in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop within a day or two.
Tiffani
I made it for my family and it was delicious! Will double it next time, with a family of 6 it went fast! Thank you
★★★★★
joythebaker
Doubling is definitely a good idea!
Vaughan
This recipe has become my go-to dumping recipe. I’ve used these dumplings in chicken and dumplings, in a Spanish bean stew and other bean and sausage combinations.
As much as I love buttermilk I never seem to have it around so I water down Greek yogurt and use that. Sometimes I add a hefty amount of black pepper to them too. I’m on a black pepper tangent lately.
Wonderful and comforting.
Thank you Joy.
Keira Ball
Very tasty.
Skye
This was delicious! It was so fun to make the dumplings right on top of the soup. I’ve found it to be very versatile as well. I made it with high quality chicken sausage and added some kale at the end (just before the dumplings) – so good! The only thing I’d recommend in adding anything extra like that is more water and chicken stock, just so there is enough liquid. Yum, I’ll definitely be making this again on a cold winter day that needs some cozy-ing up.
★★★★★
Annabelle
WOW this is good!! I used Beyond sausage and a tiny bit of paprika and we couldn’t believe how delicious it was. A keeper for sure!
★★★★★
Treva Batcho
I made this with vegan sausage , Lightlife, and vegetable broth, added celery and red pepper flakes to the onions and served it over collard greens…so delicious! My family had no idea it was vegan and it was delicious!
Heather
Super recipe! My dumplings fell apart a bit but it’s all good! Awesome flavor!
★★★★★
Kim
I had to adjust a little, but this is absolutely delicious. I used cornmeal mix & omitted the salt, flour and baking soda. I’ve made it twice, & hubby loves it. Thank you for a great recipe. This was our new year’s meal with a side of collard greens. It was awesome!
★★★★★
Anne Marie
Happy New Year Joy! I made this today for our New Year’s Day lunch and it was delicious, just perfect. I did not have sausage so substituted ground chicken with a little poultry seasoning. A delicious way to bring in the new year. Thank you.
★★★★★
Pam
Excellent recipe and a great way to bring in the New Year! I am not a huge fan of Black Eyed Peas, but they were great in this recipe. I might add some spinach next time I make this. Thank you, Joy, for a wonderful recipe. Wishing you prosperity in 2021!
★★★★★
Kara
Mine never looks pretty, but it sure is delicious!
★★★★★
Megan G
I made this with Rancho Gordo black eye peas that I cooked in the instant pot. It is soooo good! My kids gobbled it up, too. Definitely a winner.
★★★★★
Gordana
Hello from Niagara on the Lake, Canada! This is a keeper! Just made it and enjoyed while watching some tv. Really great flavour from such a simple recipe! Agree with previous poster re: inexpensive ingredients creating a really tasty meal. I didn’t tweak a thing and am very happy with the result.
★★★★★
katy
I finally was able to try this recipe, after waiting almost a month for my order of cornmeal to arrive. It was worth it – I loved it. My mom was from Arkansas, so black eyed peas and cornbread is IT for me. But my husband liked it, too – and he doesn’t usually want to even try anything new. The dumplings were soft like heaven, and just wonderful.
Thank you!
★★★★★
Joey
My soul needed this. Used veggie sausage and stock and it was sublime. Definitely a new staple for the colder months!
★★★★★