Black- Eyed Pea Soup for the New Year

Happy belated New Year! 

Although my soup making efforts were fairly substantial, my blogging was patchy at best! 

I don't remember any food related traditions in my family for New Year's day, although for New Year's Eve I must have Chinese food.  Black -eyed peas and collard greens are a must for my husband to start the New Year. Eating a bowl of black- eyed peas and collard greens insures a year of luck and prosperity.  I was about to write "If that's true, I hate to think of what our life would have been like without the BEPs & CGs of the last few years", when I realized that we have much to be grateful for. 

What will be the first soup of the new year? I sat around in my new cowboy pajamas, perusing my new cookbook on soups and knocking back a glass of pot liquor. My new pj's were a gift from Johnny Depp. Seriously - that's what the card said!  Thanks Johnny!  The cookbook was from my sister Ann. 400 Soups  edited by Ann Sheasby. The book contains a great collection of recipes and lovely photographs.  The pot liquor was courtesy of Bean and his pot of collard greens.  I wanted to use the rest of the fresh peas for soup that would have a flavor profile that was different than the smoky southern flavor of the dish that we made for New Year's Day.  


 The following soup was based on a recipe in 400 Soups.  The changes I made were to accommodate what I already had available in  my fridge and cupboard.  The soup was very satisfying without being heavy.  I poured the soup into a pretty Japanese bowl that Bean gave me.   My favorite way  to eat soup is sitting on the couch watching TV or a movie with a bowl cupped in my hand and for that a smallish Chinese or Japanese bowl is the way to go. A large rimmed bowl just doesn't work.  I learned that the hard way.  Ouch.

 Black-Eyed Peas with Tomato Broth
  Serves 3- 4

• 1 cup of fresh black-eyed peas  (or canned peas)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• fresh chilies, chopped   ( I used 1 red Fresno and 1 Thai chile)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 1/4 cup of crushed tomatoes
• 2 1/2 cups of vegetable stock (or chicken)
• couple of cilantro stems chopped
• cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• juice of 1 small lime (or lemon )

Heat oil in soup pan and add the onion and hot peppers and cook for about 8 minutes until the onions are soft.  Add the cumin and turmeric and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the peas, crushed tomatoes, stock and cilantro stems and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the peas are tender. If canned peas are used they may take less time than the fresh peas. Before serving, stir in the lime or lemon juice and the chopped cilantro.  I added a little chopped chilies on top, for additional heat.