Collard Green & Black-Eyed Pea Soup

March 18, 2013

In many cultures, certain foods are said to bring good luck. Eat fresh fish for their forward-only pattern of swimming, long noodles for a long life, black eyed peas and lentils for abundance and fortune, and collard greens and cabbage for their resemblance to money. Try this lucky food recipe to bring a little extra HEALTHY fortune into your life.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 large carrot, sliced

1 stalk celery, sliced

5 cloves garlic, (4 sliced and 1 whole), divided

1 sprig fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

5 cups chopped collard greens, or kale leaves (about 1 bunch), tough stems removed

1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed

6 1/2-inch-thick slices baguette, preferably whole-grain, cut on the diagonal

6 tablespoons shredded Gruyère or Swiss

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add sliced garlic, thyme and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Increase heat to high and add broth, tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in collard greens (or kale), reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Discard the thyme sprig. Stir in black-eyed peas; remove from the heat and cover.

Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and broil until lightly toasted, 2 to 4 minutes. Rub each bread slice with the remaining garlic clove. (Discard garlic.) Turn the slices over and top with cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve the soup topped with the cheese toasts and bacon.

Traditionally served on New Year’s Day, try this recipe to bring a little luck all year round.

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