New Year’s Soup with Black Eyed Peas

It’s ingrained in Southerners that on New Year’s Day there are a few things you must eat to start the year off right. Greens, traditionally collards, are said to bring more money into your life, and black-eyed peas bring good luck. For this recipe, you can get fancy and use yellow-eyed peas instead. Either way, this soup will still make your New Year’s Day lunch one of the highlights of your year. That’s my idea of good luck!

SOY-FREE GLUTEN-FREE OIL-FREE OPTION*

TOTAL PREP TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL COOKING TIME: 35 to 65 minutes for stove top, 7 to 9 hours for slow cooker

YIELD: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil (*use water or broth)
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 green or red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and minced
• 4 1/2 cups (743 g) cooked black-eyed peas or 3 cans (15 ounces, or 425 g each), rinsed and drained
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped small
• 1/2 cup (93 g) long-grain brown rice
• 5 cups (1.2 L) water
• 1 tablespoon (6 g) bouillon or 1 cube
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
• Black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

FOR STOVE-TOP :

1. Heat the oil in a 2-quart (1.8 L) sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and bell pepper and sauté for 2 minutes more.
4. Add the black-eyed peas, sweet potato, rice, water, bouillon, salt, and liquid smoke. Stir to combine.
5. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, for 30 to 60 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
6. Season with black pepper.

FOR SLOW COOKER :

1. Heat the oil in a 2-quart (1.8 L) sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and bell pepper and sauté for 2 minutes more.
4. Transfer the sautéed veggies, sweet potato, rice, water, bouillon, salt, and liquid smoke to a 4- or 5-quart (3.8 or 4.7 L) slow cooker.
5. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours. The rice will break down and thicken the soup.
6. Add black pepper to taste. Taste and adjust with more salt or liquid smoke if needed.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

PER 1 1/2-CUP (355 ML) SERVING

•  208.8 calories; 5.2 g total fat; 0.8 g saturated fat; 7.1 g protein; 32.4 g carbohydrate; 6.7 g dietary fiber; 0 mg cholesterol.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS & VARIATIONS: 

• Go ahead and complete your New Year’s meal by adding about 2 cups (72 g) chopped collard greens to the soup in the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking.

FANCY BEAN SUBSTITUTES:

• Yellow-Eyed Peas, Cranberry