It’s traditional on January 1 to have black-eyed peas for luck, and collards for money. This soup incorporates both, with jalapeno for a little kick and some extra vegetables for variety. You can use canned, dried, or fresh black-eyed peas. It’s a nutritional powerhouse and a great way to start the new year!
To prepare the collards: rinse them, then trim away the tough center stem and chop the leaves into shreds.
New Year’s Day Soup
With black-eyed peas for luck, and collards for money, this soup is a nutritional powerhouse.
Ingredients
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper minced
- 1 quart veggie broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 Tbs miso
- 2 Tbs mushroom powder optional
- 4 cups collard greens trimmed, chopped
- 2 15-oz cans black-eyed peas drained and rinsed (see notes)
- 1 15-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 Tbs red wine
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and jalapeno over medium heat, stirring. Add water if it starts to stick.
- Whisk the miso in the two cups of water until dissolved. Add it, and all remaining ingredients, to the soup pot.
- Simmer to blend the flavors, 10 – 20 minutes. Taste for salt.
Notes
It’s always optional to use dried peas. Soak them for 6-12 hours, drain, then cover with water and simmer for an hour or until they are soft.
Fresh black-eyed peas are usually available in the grocery store around New Year’s Day. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, drop in the peas, and cook until they are tender. Test after ten minutes; it could take 20 minutes or longer.