We have only a few traditions for New Year’s, and this is one of them. I don’t remember how it started, but I heard that eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day was supposed to be good luck, so why the heck not!? Gotta cover all the bases, especially these days! And I guess it’s a Southern tradition here in the U.S., and no, we aren’t from that region, but it’s a good excuse to make a hearty soup. So along with crab on New Year’s Eve, a bottle of bubbly (or three!), and opening the front door at midnight, we have black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day.
So over the years I’ve come up with a delicious black-eyed pea soup that we all enjoy. I’ve tried “fresh” black-eyed peas that appear in the produce aisle this time of year, but never was happy with the flavor or texture. I’ve used dried black-eyed peas, but they’re not always available when I’m looking for them, especially this year (plus it takes some time to soak and cook them), so I’ve settled for canned black-eyed peas, and really, they’re delicious and convenient, plus using canned black-eyed peas makes putting this soup together so easy “peasy”! Get it? “pea”sy? Well, I thought that was kind of funny. Anywho….
So I’ve been making this soup on New Year’s Day for a while, for a few reasons… (1) just in case eating black-eyed peas on New Years Day really is lucky, and (2) because it’s really yummy and (3) because it’s usually so cold on New Year’s Day we need something warming for dinner, and (4) we’ve been eating so much rich stuff over the last couple weeks, a simple soup is exactly what we need! Of course, today Jose also made his amazing smoked ribs (maybe this will be a new tradition?), but the soup was a good side for the ribs. And along with a simple green salad and garlic bread, it was a perfect New Year’s Day meal.
New Year’s Day Black-Eyed Pea Soup
Description
We enjoy this soup on New Year’s Day, but it’s good anytime, especially if there’s a chill in the air. It’s pretty quick and simple to throw together, and of course, it’s completely adaptable to whatever you have on hand. Seriously, if you don’t have black-eyed peas, but have some other canned legume, well then, go ahead and use that. I don’t always add greens, but if I have chard or kale that needs to be used, I add the chopped greens too. Don’t worry about getting the quantities of the ingredients just right, either. You can omit the ham/sausage and make it a vegetarian soup. It still will have plenty of flavor. There’s plenty of room for adjustments with this one. Try to use what you have on hand and make it your own!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large white onion, chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 large cloves)
- 1 large jalapeno, chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 cup chopped ham or smoked sausage (optional, but really good))
- 1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes (I use petite diced with garlic and olive oil)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 large bay leaf
- 28 ounces (2-14oz cans) canned black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less to desired level of spice)
- 1/2 cup chopped greens like kale or chard (optional)
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and saute until onions begin to soften.
- Add celery, carrots, and jalapeno and saute until vegetables are starting to become tender.
- Add garlic, oregano, and thyme, and saute several minutes until aromatic and garlic softens.
- Add tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf, ham/sausage, black-eyed peas and red pepper flakes and bring to simmer.
- Cover and let soup simmer on low for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Add parsley and vinegar and stir. Simmer a few more minutes, then taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.
- Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
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