Black-Eyed Pea and Vegetable Soup

The earthy, starchy flavor of black-eyed peas makes these easy-to-grow and versatile legumes a favorite staple of Southern American kitchens, where they're often cooked with a little hot seasoning and served with collard greens. Easily digestible, these attractive beans are also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, folate, and vitamin A. This very simple soup is a healthy elaboration of traditional Southern black-eyed pea dishes, and makes a warming and hearty part of almost any meal.

Black-Eyed Pea and Vegetable Soup

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on January 22, 2008 Simple, earthy and comforting black-eyed pea soup with vegetables and a gentle seasoning Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups dried black-eyed peas (4 1/2 cups cooked or 2 19 oz cans) 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 medium carrots, sliced 2 celery stalks, sliced 2 medium onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon dried thyme 4 cups vegetable stock 1/2 lb (450 g) collard greens, kale, chard or spinach, trimmed and cut into wide strips juice of 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon cayenne fresh ground black pepper Instructions: Rinse the black-eyed peas and soak for 8 hours or overnight in several inches of water. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium saucepan and cover with several inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until the beans are plump and tender but not falling apart. Remove from heat and drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Mash about a third of the beans in a bowl with a potato masher, and set aside with the unmashed beans. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. When hot, toss in the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Sauté the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they are softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas, a reserved cup of their cooking liquid, and the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to moderately low and simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Stir in the greens, cover again, and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or until the greens have turned dark in color and are just wilted. Finally, stir in the lemon juice, salt, paprika and cayenne. Bring up the temperature slightly and simmer for just a couple of minutes more to let the flavors mingle. Discard the bay leaves, season with black peper, and serve hot as part of any lunch or dinner. Makes 6 to 8 servings