Black-Eyed Peas and Sausage Dumplings (Print View)

Creamy stew topped with golden cornmeal dumplings for a hearty, comforting meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the Stew

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 12 oz 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 (15 oz each) black-eyed peas, 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

# Directions:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dumplings cook right on top of the stew, so you get fluffy, pillowy bites without extra dishes or timing stress.
  • Smoked sausage does most of the heavy lifting flavor-wise, meaning you can throw this together without a long ingredient list.
  • It's forgiving enough to make on a busy weeknight but impressive enough to serve when people come over.
02 -
  • If you lift the lid while dumplings steam, they collapse like deflated balloons—I learned this the hard way and had to explain dense, sunken dumplings to my dinner guests.
  • Don't overmix the dumpling batter; lumpy batter makes fluffy dumplings while smooth, worked batter makes them rubbery and heavy.
03 -
  • Make the dumpling batter while the stew simmers—having it ready means you can drop dumplings on at exactly the right moment without scrambling.
  • If your stew is too thick when dumplings go in, add a splash of broth so the dumplings have enough liquid to steam in and don't stick to the bottom.
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