Collard Green and Black Eyed Pea Soup

Prep time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

  • 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
  • ¼ 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 cheese
  • 2 slices cooked bacon, finely chopped

Directions:

  1. 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.
  2. Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
  3. 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.

Notes:

Antioxidant-rich collard greens and fiber-packed black eyed peas have a starring role in this nutritious soup. There's no need for loads of ham or salt pork - just a small amount of bacon gives it a wonderful smoky flavor. You can skip the bacon and substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth for a great vegetarian dish.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 173 calories; 5 g fat, 23 g carbohydrates, 5 g total sugars, 10 g protein, 5 g fiber, 762 mg sodium

Recipe source: https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/251945/collard-green-black-eyed-pea-soup/