Stay Warm with Hearty Black-eyed Pea Soup

Stay warm during the cold winter months with Black-eyed Pea Soup.

The black-eyed peas–the January Harvest of the Month–may be the star of this hearty soup, but the delicious combination of flavors from the bacon and the veggies will keep you coming back for bowl after bowl.

Click here to print the recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound dried black-eyed peas (about 2½ cups)
  • 5 slices turkey bacon
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 1½ cups frozen collard greens, thawed and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 smoked ham hock
  • ½ cup rice blend
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: 

  1. Rinse black-eyed peas in cold water and pick out any debris.
  2. Put black-eyed peas in Dutch oven and cover with 5 cups water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil for one minute. Cover, remove from heat and let black-eyed peas soak for 1 hour.
  3. Cook bacon in skillet until crispy. After it cools, crumble bacon and set aside.
  4. Add olive oil to the same skillet and add onions, carrots and celery.
    Cook, stirring until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the greens and garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
  5. Add vegetables to Dutch oven along with broth, ham hock, crumbled bacon, rice and 4 cups water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to a simmer for about 1 hour, until the black-eyed peas and rice are tender.
  6. Remove the ham hock and discard skin and bone. Chop meat into small pieces and return to Dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 7