Black-Eyed Pea & Kale Soup

If there's anything at all I've learned from nursing school, it's that you don't challenge a superstition. Like, full moons are always crazy, and you never ever say "quiet." So I figured for New Year's Day, we needed black eyed peas for good luck. In looking for a recipe, I found that leafy greens and pork are also "good" things to eat on New Year's. I located a recipe from Whole Foods that included all those things, except I opted to use kale instead of collard greens. The soup turned out really well. Even my mother, who despises black eyed peas, enjoyed it. The only problem was that I had a sinus infection when I was cooking, so I may have added a little more ground cayenne pepper than necessary...but I guess the plus side to that was it helped clear me up! Anyway, it's a fabulous soup...just be careful how much punch you give it!

Black-Eyed Pea and Kale Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups dried black-eyed peas, let soak overnight and drain before cooking
2 TBSP EVOO
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 lb. Black Forest ham or smoked turkey breast cut into small cubes (optional)
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bunch (or 1/2 bag) kale, chopped and stems removed
4 carrots, chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt
Ground black pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onion, garlic, and celery and cook until onion is translucent. Add peas, broth and ham; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until peas are tender. Add kale and carrots and simmer until tender. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Enjoy!

 

My final semester of undergrad is well underway. My calendar is literally the most terrifying thing I've ever seen. Seriously. I've been back at school for a week and my roommate and I didn't have time to talk to each other until today. So I really shouldn't be on here blogging. I should be writing a research paper, reading my books, and working on study guides, case studies, and other assignments. I'm at that place where there is so much to do, that I don't even know where to start. Yikes. Well, Biggest Loser is over so I guess I'll get off here and go workout. Then, maybe I'll actually get some sleep tonight. Maybe.