Black-Eyed Pea Soup

I planned to post this black-eyed pea soup on January 1^st. I usually have an open house that day and lentil soup is served, to ensure abundance and prosperity on the New Year. When I learned that Americans eat black-eyed peas for the same purpose, I decided to saved this recipe to post it on New Year’s Day…

But it happens that, that very day, I woke up kind of philosophical and rather than posting a recipe, I decided to write my reflections on 2013, proving, one more time, that blogging is more a mood thing than a planned one.

That’s the reason this so delicious soup came late… But since better late than never, here I go with a soup that is good for your tummy and your soul.

As it has only a few tablespoons of olive oil, it’s super light. It’s very nutritious because black-eyed peas are one of those super foods that we should incorporate into our diet on a regular basis (OMG, am I sounding like an old lady or what?)

One serving (half a cup) has only 70 calories and contains no fat or cholesterol and It has a high fiber content. So, go cool them and eat!

Black-eyed pea soup with bay leaves | Ingredients for 6-8 portions

1 package of black-eyed peas

4 quarts of water

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 cup of onion finely chopped

3 garlic cloves minced

3/4 cup of celery finely chopped

3/4 cup of red bell pepper finely chopped

1 cup of carrot finely diced

Coarse sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

The night before, soak the black-eyed peas in water. In the morning, rinse the peas.

In a pot over high heat, put the black-eyed peas with the water to boil. Once they boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes. Strain and dispose the water.

Add 2 more quarters of fresh water to the pot, cover and cook the peas over medium heat until they boil.

In the mean time, in a skillet over medium heat, put the oil and sauté the onions and the garlic until tender, 5 minutes.

Add the celery and cook for 3 more minutes.

Add the red bell pepper and cook for 3 more minutes.

Add the carrots and cook for 3 more minutes.

Add the sofrito to the pot. Add salt, pepper and the bay leaves. Cook uncovered for 15 more minutes.

This soup tastes better the following day.