Cozy Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens Soup Recipe

Nothing hits the spot quite like a delicious and hearty bowl of freshly made soup. Add a handful of bacon and black-eyed peas to the mix and you’re talking about a flavor that’s nothing short of heavenly perfection.

While the temperature only seems to drop outside, that doesn’t mean you can’t warm up in the kitchen with a bowl full of warm and comforting flavor that wards off any feelings of the winter blues. If you find yourself suffering from unwanted winter symptoms such as a sore throat or the sniffles, a bowl of black-eyed pea soup may just be the tasty solution both you and your family need.

While it’s the combination of broth and bacon that give this dish an added flair, it’s the vegetables that give it such a high health rating. Collard greens are overflowing with protein, calcium, fiber, and iron — all of which keep your body where it needs to be. The addition of carrots, celery, garlic, and onions offer your soup an even more powerful punch of vitamins that will provide you with flavor and health benefits in every single bite.

For a meal the whole family will enjoy while staying warm this winter, check out this delicious bowl of soup inspired by Food Lion’s Black-Eyed Pea and Collard Greens recipe below:



Ingredients
Serves: 4

• 2 ½ cups of dried black-eyed peas
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 ¼ cups of onion, chopped
• 1 cup of baby carrots, chopped
• 1 bunch of collard greens, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2/3 pound of turkey bacon, sliced and cooked
• ¾ cups of celery, chopped
• 5 cups of chicken broth, low-sodium if desired
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Add your serving of black-eyed peas to a medium-large bowl or pot and fill the container with enough water to slightly cover the peas. Cover the top layer of the dish in an even layer of foil or plastic wrap and set the contents aside.
2. Allow the peas to sit at room temperature for roughly 6-7 hours or allow them to soak overnight. Next, drain the peas carefully in a strainer and rinse the contents briefly under cold water.
3. Place the olive oil into a medium-large pot or saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic, onions, and celery to the saucepan and stir the contents thoroughly till they begin to sizzle and the onions turn slightly translucent. Add cooked turkey bacon to the skillet in cut pieces and cook the contents of the pan for an additional 7-8 minutes.
4. Once the vegetables begin to soften, carefully add the peas and broth to the mixture and add a lid to the pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer and replace the cover until the pan is only partially covered. Cook for an additional 45 minutes.
5. As the peas begin to soften, add the collard greens and carrots to the mixture and simmer the contents for an additional 15-20 minutes. Once the vegetables are tender, add a dash of salt and pepper to the pot for added flavor and serve immediately.

One spoonful of this delicious soup will leave you wondering why black-eyed peas and collard greens aren’t a part of your daily menu. When you need an extra hearty dish that maximizes the degree of health benefits you’ll receive, try swopping chicken stock out for bone broth to lower the serving size of sodium at hand.

Trying to beat a cold with a freshly brewed bowl of homemade soup? While the added vegetables in this dish alone will provide you with the added nutrition your body needs to recover, the addition of a dash full of oregano and thyme will help body power through any unwanted winter illnesses with more vigor. Make sure your garlic is extra fresh to get the maximum benefits from your vegetable, too.

Don’t beat the winter cold by staying in bed — make a fresh bowl of soap that’ll get you up and moving instead!

This post was written in collaboration with Food Lion, affordable grocery stores in Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. Find a Food Lion near you. Feature photo by Lani Paul.