Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Dumplings (Printable View)

Comforting Southern stew with black-eyed peas, smoked sausage, and fluffy cornmeal dumplings simmered in rich broth.

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the Stew

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 12 ounces smoked sausage, sliced
03 - 1 medium onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 medium carrot, diced
07 - 1 green bell pepper, chopped
08 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 2 cans black-eyed peas (15 ounces each), drained and rinsed
10 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
11 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
13 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - Salt to taste

→ For the Dumplings

16 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
17 - 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
18 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
19 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
20 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
21 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
22 - 3/4 cup buttermilk

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add sliced sausage and cook until browned, approximately 5 minutes.
02 - Add diced onion, minced garlic, diced celery, diced carrot, and chopped bell pepper. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until vegetables are softened.
03 - Pour in chicken broth and stir in black-eyed peas, dried thyme, smoked paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper if using, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.
04 - In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in melted butter and buttermilk until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
05 - Remove bay leaf from the stew. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed with additional salt and pepper.
06 - Drop spoonfuls of dumpling batter (approximately 2 tablespoons each) onto the simmering stew. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes until dumplings are puffed and cooked through. Do not lift the lid during steaming.
07 - Serve the stew and dumplings hot, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • Those pillowy dumplings soak up the savory broth in a way that feels like pure comfort, especially when you need something warm and filling fast.
  • You get real depth from smoked sausage and spices without any fussy technique or hours of tending—it's honest food that delivers.
02 -
  • Never skip rinsing your canned peas—it removes excess starch and sodium that can muddy the flavor of your broth.
  • The absolute key to fluffy dumplings is not lifting that lid while they steam; I learned this the hard way and have adjusted my impatience ever since.
03 -
  • Don't overmix the dumpling batter or measure flour by scooping directly from the bag—both lead to dense, tough dumplings instead of tender ones.
  • Save the bay leaf by tying it loosely to the pot handle so you can fish it out easily instead of hunting through hot broth.
Go Back