Black Eyed Peas and Collard Greens Soup: A new way to use New Year's Day Leftovers

Like all good Southerns, each year on New Year's Day a feast is prepared with all the traditional  dishes. The typical New Year's Day meal is comprised of some sort of pork product (chops, loin, etc), black eyed peas, collard greens and cornbread. Here is a good link with all the explanation and history behind this traditional meal: Southern New Year's Day Feast.  As I have gotten older I have come to look forward to this meal and typically spend atleast a day prior prepping the peas and collard greens (WHICH are hard to find in Oregon!).  The one thing that is hard is cooking this meal for two people without having SO many leftovers that you do not know what to do with them.  

Instead of eating plan old leftovers for several days... this year I put together a new recipe to "reuse" the peas and collards.  I created a large pot of soup, which I was able to munch on for a few days AND put half of it away in the freezer for a chilly winter night! I created this soup from scratch, which may sound scary, but, it really was simple!  My husband loved it so much he had two BIG helpings!

Black Eyed Peas and Collard Soup (AKA Scarlett O's Stone Soup--as coined by my husband!)

• 3 cloves of garlic- peeled and diced
• 2 stalks of celery-diced
• 2 carrots-diced
• 1/2 medium white onion- diced
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt/ Pepper 
• 2 cups of chicken stock (could use vegetable)
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (could omit)
• 3-4 Cups of Pot Likker (reserved juice from cooked collard greens)
• 1-2 small potatoes-peeled and diced
• Can of Kidney beans- 14.5 oz- do not rinse- add juice
• Can of diced tomatoes-14.5 oz
• Can of fire roasted, diced tomatoes- 14.5 oz
• 3 Cups Black Eyed Peas
• 3  Cups of Collard Greens
• Medium package of Link Sausage/ Kabasa sliced into small bite sized pieces ( I used a spicy pork sausage--I like spicy food!

Instructions: 

1. In large pot, sauté' garlic, carrots, onion and celery in 3 Tbsp of olive oil, until tender>
2. Add Salt/Pepper (to taste--I did two pinches of salt, and a few grinds of pepper from the pepper mill).
3. Add 2 Cups of chicken stock, oregano, parsley and red pepper flakes, let simmer a minute or two.
4. Add Pot Likker (juice from cooked collard greens) and potatoes and let simmer for another few minutes or so.
5. Add kidney beans, diced tomatoes, fire roasted tomatoes, black eyed peas, collard greens and sausage to the pot.
6. Let simmer on low for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Serve piping hot with a parmesan cheese and crusty bread

Simmering!

ENJOY!

Until next time y'all,

Emily