The Most Flavorful Collard Greens & Black Eyed Peas

Here’s a little fact about me that you may or may not know – I’m named after both of my grandmothers. Nellie was my mom’s mother and Juanita was actually Maria Juana, my dad’s mother. Hence my name “Nellie Juanita Coody.” 

My grandma Nellie was one-of-a-kind and she taught me a lot of different things about life, love, and cooking. Two things she taught me to cook were Collard Greens and Black Eyed Peas. Some people call this kind of cooking “Soul Food,” but here in the South we call it “Home Food.”

I made these recipes a few weekends ago and I have to say it – I think I would have made my grandma proud. Keep on scrolling to see how everything turned out . . .

The best tip I can give when it comes to buying collard greens at the grocery store is to always make sure they’re fresh. Look out for any yellow leaves and steer clear of them. 

First things first, boil four ham shanks in a pot of water or chicken broth. 

While the shanks are boiling, de-stem the greens from the stalk.

Rinse the greens thoroughly to make sure they’re nice and clean and dirt-free.

Add greens to the pot of boiling ham shanks. 

Chop up a white onion. Add the onion and some minced garlic to the pot of greens. 

Season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder.

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the greens to help balance the acid of the greens and shanks. 

Rinse the beans thoroughly to make sure there’s no dirt or tiny rocks in them. 

Soak the black eyed peas in water overnight. This will help them swell and be ready for cooking the next day. 

Boil two ham shanks in chicken broth in a separate pot.  

Rinse the beans a second time. 

Chop a white onion and saute it in a dutch oven. 

Add minced garlic and some chicken broth to the dutch oven. 

Add the black eyed peas and the ham shanks to the pot and let simmer on low heat until the peas are fully cooked. 

Do you like collard greens and black eyed peas? Or are you more of a mustard greens kind of person? How do you cook collard greens and black eyed peas? Let me know in the comments.

Verse of the Day: For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness. – Psalms 107:9