A serving spoon lifts cabbage, black-eyed peas, diced tomatoes, and sliced sausage from a large pot of stew.

Smoky Cabbage, Black-Eyed Peas, and Sausage Soup

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    I started my food vlogging journey in 2024, when I decided it was time to share my love of cooking with folks near and far. I grew up learning the ins and outs of the kitchen from my grandparents and my mama — they taught me that a good meal can bring people together like nothing else. Now, I’m proud to carry on their passion and share those same comforting flavors with y’all.

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Smoky Cabbage, Black-Eyed Peas, and Sausage Soup Smoked sausage, cabbage, black-eyed peas, Rotel, and Cajun seasoning come together in this one-pot soup. The process begins by lightly browning the sausage, then builds the pot in stages with onion, bell pepper, garlic, broth, cabbage, and peas.

Watch How to Make It

The cabbage is simmered after the broth comes to a boil, with an approximate 15- to 25-minute cooking range. This allows the cabbage to cook until it reaches the tenderness you want before the black-eyed peas are added for the final 5 minutes.

A person pours chopped cabbage from a red bowl into a large green Dutch oven containing broth and meat on a stovetop.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This recipe has a clear stovetop sequence that keeps each addition in its place. The sausage cooks first in oil or bacon grease, followed by the onion and bell pepper, while the garlic and Cajun seasoning are added only after those vegetables have become tender.

Chicken broth provides the liquid for the soup once the sausage and vegetables have cooked. Rotel and cabbage are stirred in after the broth reaches a boil, and the black-eyed peas are held back until near the end so they can heat through without being part of the longer cabbage simmer.

A hand pours a can of Rotel mild diced tomatoes and green chilies into a large green Dutch oven on a stovetop.

The recipe also leaves two choices in the cook’s hands. You may start with either oil or bacon grease, and the Cajun seasoning is listed as adjustable to taste.

Ingredients You'll Need

You will need 1 pound of smoked sausage, cut into coins, along with 1 head of chopped cabbage. The vegetable base also includes 1 chopped white onion, 1 chopped bell pepper, and 2 minced garlic cloves.

For seasoning and liquid, gather 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, adjusting it to taste as directed, and 4 cups of chicken broth. Have the 28-ounce can of Rotel ready to add once the broth has come to a boil.

The soup is finished with 2 drained and rinsed 14.5-ounce cans of black-eyed peas. You will also need 2 tablespoons of either oil or bacon grease for cooking the sausage at the start.

A person uses a wooden spoon to scrape chopped green peppers and onions from a clear container into a pot filled with sliced sausage.

A large pot is the only specified cooking vessel. Because the ingredients are added in a particular order, it helps to have the sausage, vegetables, garlic, seasoning, broth, Rotel, cabbage, and prepared black-eyed peas ready before heating the pot.

How To Make It

Begin by heating the oil or bacon grease in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the coined smoked sausage until it is lightly browned, then add the chopped onion and bell pepper and sauté them until tender.

Stir the minced garlic and Cajun seasoning into the sausage and vegetable mixture. Cook only until the garlic becomes fragrant, then pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil.

Once boiling, add the Rotel and chopped cabbage, stirring to combine them with the broth. Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 15 to 25 minutes, stopping when the cabbage has reached your desired tenderness.

During the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the drained and rinsed black-eyed peas. Allow the peas to heat through, then serve the soup warm.

Before cooking, coin the smoked sausage so it is ready to go directly into the heated oil or bacon grease. Chop the cabbage, white onion, and bell pepper, and mince the garlic cloves.

Drain and rinse both cans of black-eyed peas before beginning. Since they are added during the last 5 minutes, preparing them in advance keeps the final stage of cooking focused on heating them through.

A person sprinkles seasoning from a bottle into a green pot filled with sliced sausage and chopped vegetables being stirred with a wooden spoon.

Measure the Cajun seasoning and chicken broth, and open the Rotel. Keeping these ingredients ready supports the recipe’s quick transitions: garlic and seasoning follow the tender vegetables, broth follows the fragrant garlic, and Rotel and cabbage follow the boil.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil or bacon grease over medium heat in the large pot. Add the coined smoked sausage and cook until lightly browned before moving on to the vegetables.

Add the chopped white onion and bell pepper to the pot. Sauté them with the sausage until tender, then stir in the minced garlic and Cajun seasoning.

The garlic needs only enough time to become fragrant. After that point, pour in the 4 cups of chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil.

A person pours a bowl of black-eyed peas into a large pot containing cabbage and sausage simmering on an induction cooktop.

Add the Rotel and chopped cabbage once the broth is boiling, stirring so the ingredients are combined throughout the pot. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for approximately 15 to 25 minutes.

The stated simmer range is tied to the cabbage rather than a fixed final texture. Check the cabbage during this period and continue cooking until it reaches the tenderness you prefer.

A person pours sliced sausage from a glass bowl into a green enameled Dutch oven on an induction cooktop.

Add the drained and rinsed black-eyed peas during the final 5 minutes of cooking. Stir them in and allow them to heat through before serving.

Serving & Variations

Serve the soup warm after the black-eyed peas have heated through. The final serving point comes after the cabbage has reached your chosen tenderness and the peas have completed their short time in the pot.

For the cooking fat, use either oil or bacon grease as listed. The Cajun seasoning may also be adjusted to taste, while the remaining ingredients and cooking sequence stay the same.

Broth being poured from a glass measuring cup into a green pot containing sliced sausage and vegetables.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use oil or bacon grease for this soup?

Yes. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of either oil or bacon grease to cook the sausage.

When should I add the black-eyed peas?

Stir in the drained and rinsed black-eyed peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking, then allow them to heat through.

How long should the cabbage simmer?

Simmer the soup for approximately 15-25 minutes, or until the cabbage reaches your desired tenderness.

When is the garlic added?

Add the minced garlic after the onion and bell pepper are tender, along with the Cajun seasoning. Cook just until the garlic becomes fragrant.

How many servings does this soup make?

This recipe makes 8 servings.

Wrapping Up

This stovetop soup is built in layers, beginning with lightly browned sausage and tender vegetables before moving into broth, Rotel, cabbage, and black-eyed peas. The cabbage simmer provides the recipe’s main timing range, while the peas are reserved for the final minutes before the soup is served warm.

Recipe created by Cookinwithbabe for Trust Me Try It.

A serving spoon lifts cabbage, black-eyed peas, diced tomatoes, and sliced sausage from a large pot of stew.

Smoky Cabbage, Black-Eyed Peas, and Sausage Soup

Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 lb smoked sausage, coined
  • 1 head of cabbage, chopped
  • 1 white onion, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp Cajun seasoning, adjust to taste
  • 4 cup chicken broth
  • 28 oz can Rotel
  • 2 14.5 oz cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tbsp oil or bacon grease

Instructions

  • In a large pot, heat the oil or bacon grease over medium heat.
  • Add the sausage and cook until lightly browned.
  • Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté until tender.
  • Stir in the garlic and Cajun seasoning, cooking just until the garlic becomes fragrant.
  • Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
  • Add the Rotel and cabbage, stirring to combine.
  • Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 15-25 minutes, or until the cabbage reaches your desired tenderness.
  • During the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the black-eyed peas and allow them to heat through.
  • Serve warm.

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