BLACKEYED PEA AND SWEET POTATO SOUP

Evenings are cool these days, even though the days are warm and sunny.  As a consequence, I'm pulling out the soup pot more often.  I do love soup, and find soup-making a wonderful way to use leftovers and bits and pieces that need using-up. I make large pots of soups of all kinds and my husband and I take leftovers for work lunches. 

This soup was developed for a group of recipes I did for the book "Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Heart Disease", which featured recipes that were not only vegan, but also fat-free, high-fiber, and low in salt and sugar, which was a challenge, because I wanted everything to taste yummy and full-bodied, too!

I wanted this soup to showcase time-honored Southern foods and flavors, which not only meld nicely with each other, but are colorful and eye-appealing as well.  The soup is super fast and easy to make, economical, and very satisfying-- a whole-meal soup which could be accompanied by a scoop of rice in the middle of the soup plate, if you like, or some hot cornbread. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S BLACK-EYED PEA AND SWEET POTATO SOUP

(A slightly altered version of the recipe I developed for "Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Heart Disease" [Rodale Press, NY, 2007])

Serves 6  

This delectable, but easy soup contains Southern elements-- black-eyed peas, smoky flavors, sweet potatoes, and greens.  

1 large    onion, chopped  

3 cloves    garlic, minced  

6 cups    chicken-style vegetarian broth  

1/4 cup    tomato paste  

3 cups    cooked or canned, drained black-eyed peas ( 2/ 15 ounce cans)  

2 tablespoons    vegan bacon bits,  a handful of chopped vegan "ham", or a few dashes liquid smoke  

2 teaspoons    dried oregano  

1    bay leaf  

1/2 teaspoon    salt  

1/2 teaspoon    dried red chile flakes  (optional-- see below)

4 ounces    kale, collards, or other dark greens, cleaned, trimmed and thinly sliced  

1 pound    sweet potato, peeled and diced  

OPTIONAL:

1 to 2   spicy vegan sausages, sliced 1/4"-thick

(I like Field Roast Chipotle Sausages in this, but Tofurky Spicy Italian are good, too.  If you use the Field Roast sausages, you might want to use fewer chile flakes, or omit them altogether, because they are quite hot.)

Steam-fry the onion and garlic in in a large heavy nonstick, cast iron or hard-anodized aluminum skillet sprayed with oil from a pump sprayer, or with cooking spray, until soft. (To steam-fry, saute over high heat, adding squirts of water as you cook-- just enough to keep the onions from sticking, but not enough to "stew' them.) Or, use the microwave option and  place in a covered microwave-safe dish (such as a Pyrex casserole, or Pyrex pie plate covered with a Pyrex pot lid or another Pyrex pie plate, upside-down) and microwave at 100% power for 5 minutes.

Add the cooked onion and garlic to a large pot along with the broth, tomato paste, black-eyed peas, soy bacon bits, "ham" or liquid smoke, oregano, bay leaf, salt, chile flakes, greens, sweet potato, and vegetarian sausage. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender.

Taste for salt and serve immediately.

  

 Nutrition Facts (Nutrition facts calculated using the optional 2 veggie "sausages".)

Nutrition (per serving): 260.1 calories; 9% calories from fat; 3.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 486.2mg sodium; 782.4mg potassium; 43.6g carbohydrates; 9.8g fiber; 8.1g sugar; 32.8g net carbs; 18.4g protein; 4.7 points.

Enjoy!