French Onion Black Eyed Pea Stew

This hearty black eyed pea stew is packed with deeply caramelized onions, mushrooms, fresh thyme, and savory broth, then finished with a little cream and nutty Gruyère. It has all the rich flavors of French onion soup, but with tender black eyed peas to turn it into a filling meal.

There is something about a big pot of beans simmering on the stove that makes such a simple dinner feel special. This recipe came together after I harvested black eyed peas from my garden and realized some of them needed to be cooked right away.

I started pulling ingredients from my fridge and pantry and ended up taking the flavors in a French onion soup direction. Caramelized onions, mushrooms, thyme, sherry, broth, and Gruyère turned those humble black eyed peas into one of the most flavorful meals.

And you absolutely need some crusty bread for dunking.

Main Ingredients & Swaps

• Black eyed peas: I originally made this with black eyed peas I grew in my garden, but canned or home cooked black eyed peas work perfectly. Cannellini beans, great northern beans, or another creamy white bean would also be delicious.
• Onions: This recipe uses plenty of onions because they cook down significantly as they caramelize. They create the rich, slightly sweet base that gives the stew its French onion flavor.
• Cremini mushrooms: Mushrooms add another layer of savory flavor and make this stew surprisingly hearty even without meat.
• Fresh thyme: One of my favorite herbs to pair with onions and mushrooms. Dried thyme can work in a pinch, but fresh is especially good here.
• Dry sherry: This deglazes all those flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pot and adds depth to the broth.
• Gruyère: The classic French onion soup finish. Sprinkle it right over each hot bowl so it gets melty.
• Heavy cream: Just a little stirred in at the end rounds everything out without turning this into a heavy cream based soup.

How I Make It

The most important part of this recipe is getting plenty of flavor into the onions. I start with a little cane sugar, butter, salt, and a small amount of baking soda to help speed up the caramelization process.

As the onions cook, I add a couple tablespoons of water whenever the bottom of the pan starts getting dry. The water helps loosen all those browned bits and lets the onions continue cooking without burning.

Once the onions are deeply golden, I add the mushrooms. They release quite a bit of moisture at first, but after about 10 minutes they cook down into an almost jammy mixture with the onions.

Then I add garlic and fresh thyme, followed by dry sherry, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Cooked black eyed peas, broth, and water go in next, and everything simmers until the broth has reduced and all those flavors have come together.

A splash of heavy cream goes in after the heat is turned off. Then I spoon it into bowls and finish each serving with plenty of shredded Gruyère.

If You’re Starting With Dried Black Eyed Peas

This is one thing I would do differently from the first time I made the recipe.

Cook your dried black eyed peas separately in plain water until they are tender before adding them to the stew.

I originally added dry beans and quickly realized my mistake. Once beans are simmering with acidic and salty ingredients, they can take much longer to soften.

Start with about 1 1/2 cups dried black eyed peas and cook them until tender. You should end up with roughly 4 to 4 1/2 cups cooked beans.

For an even easier option, use three 15 ounce cans of black eyed peas or white beans, drained and rinsed.

Tips & Storage

Give the onions time to develop plenty of color because that caramelized flavor is what makes this stew so good. Adding small splashes of water while they cook helps prevent burning while still allowing them to caramelize.

Make sure dried beans are completely cooked before adding them to the stew.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and gently reheat them on the stove or in the microwave. Add a splash of broth or water if the stew thickens considerably in the refrigerator.

And definitely save some extra Gruyère for topping the leftovers.

Watch Me Make It

You can watch me make this French Onion Black Eyed Pea Stew in my full week of meals video on YouTube, along with all the other recipes I made for my family that week.

French Onion Black Eyed Pea Stew

This hearty black eyed pea stew combines caramelized onions, mushrooms, thyme, and savory broth with a splash of cream and melted Gruyère for a simple, filling meal.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American, French

Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 large onions thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon cane sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons butter divided
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 16 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt divided
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups cooked black eyed peas or another white bean
• 2 cups beef broth or chicken stock
• 1 cup water plus more as needed
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 to 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
• Crusty bread for serving

If Using Dried Black Eyed Peas

• 1 1/2 cups dried black eyed peas

Notes

• If starting with dried black eyed peas, cook them separately in water until completely tender before adding them to the stew. About 1 1/2 cups dried beans should yield roughly 4 to 4 1/2 cups cooked.
• For an easy substitution, use three 15 ounce cans of black eyed peas or white beans, drained and rinsed.
• Cannellini beans and great northern beans both work well in this recipe.
• The stew will thicken as it sits. Add a splash of broth or water when reheating if needed.

Method

 

1. Add the cane sugar to a large Dutch oven over medium high heat and allow it to begin melting. Add the onions and toss to coat. Add 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and the baking soda. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and become deeply golden, about 15 minutes. Add a couple tablespoons of water whenever the pan gets dry or the onions begin sticking and becoming dark too quickly, you don't want to burn these.
2. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and mushrooms. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their moisture and cook down. Add a splash of water if the pan becomes too dry.
3. Add the garlic and fresh thyme and cook for about 1 minute. Pour in the sherry and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard.
4. Add the cooked black eyed peas, broth, and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broth has reduced and the stew reaches your desired consistency. Add additional water as needed.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon into bowls, top generously with shredded Gruyère, and serve with crusty bread.

Video

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