New Year’s Day has always felt so nostalgic to me. The familiar smell of our cooking filling the house, the kitchen crowded with family, the slower ease into whatever the year is going to bring.

Growing up, there was always black-eyed peas and cabbage on New Year’s Day. Black-eyed peas for luck. Cabbage for wealth. And one can never have too much of either!

This is the second year that I made it myself.

A pot of black-eyed peas cooked low and slow until they turned creamy and soupy, soaking up all that sausage garlicky goodness. Cabbage sautéed down with bacon until tender, peppery, and just a little sweet with spicy heat. I served the peas over rice with the cabbage on the side, and when I finally sat down to eat, my plate was singing. Everything worked. Everything hit.

Making this dish pulled me straight back to my childhood. Making these dishes was usually my Grams’ department but standing over that pot made me feel close to her even though she’s no longer with us.

Food does that sometimes. It holds memories, it takes you back, and that’s part of what makes it so special.

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How I Make It

Black-Eyed Peas

• 1 lb dry black-eyed peas
• 32 oz chicken broth
• 1 sausage link, sliced
• ½ white onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 Tbsp garlic
• Salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, cajun seasoning to taste

Instructions:

Soak peas overnight until doubled in size.

In a large pot, sauté sausage until browned. Remove and set aside.
In the same pot, sauté onion and bell pepper until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir.

Add the peas, broth, and seasonings. Bring to a simmer.
Cover and cook for 2–3 hours until tender, creamy, and rich. Add the sausage back in towards the end.

Sautéed Cabbage

• 3–4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
• ½ white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 head cabbage, thinly sliced
• Salt & pepper
• 1 Cup Chicken broth

Instructions:
Sauté bacon in a large pan until crispy. Remove and set aside.
In the bacon grease, add onion, bell pepper, and cabbage. Toss for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Season and add broth.

Simmer 10–15 minutes until tender but not mushy. Finish with adding the bacon back in.

Serve the peas over rice with cabbage on the side and enjoy!

This felt like the most comforting way to welcome a new year—grounded, warm, and full of intention. Here’s to a year that’s warm, steady, and well-fed. 🍲

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