Below is the recipe for you to make this delicious soup at home!
Enjoy,
Tave & Brian
Black Eyed Pea & Collard Greens Soup
8 cups vegetable boxed broth or homemade stock (preparation below)
1 lb prepared black eyed peas (see preparation below)
2 onions, sliced (save outer layer & core for stock)
6 carrots, peeled & diced (save peels for stock)
2 bunches collard greens, chopped
1 can fire roasted tomatoes, diced
2 TSP kosher salt, or to taste
1 lime (optional)
Combine broth and black eyed peas in a pot on the stovetop. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 2 hours.
Sauté onions with a little olive oil until softened
Add collard greens and cook until tender (set aside 1 cup of sautéed onions & collard greens for pesto).
Combine carrots and onions to pot and simmer until carrots are tender.
Add fire roasted tomatoes and salt.
Stir in sautéed collard greens, mix in well with beans
Simmer for 15 mins.
Serve in bowl, topped with rounded TBS of collard greens pesto (see preparation below) & dollop of chèvre (see preparation below)
Finish with a little lime juice if you like.
Vegetable Stock from scratch prep:
8 cups water
6 potatoes scrubbed, peeled – using skins only (Use potatoes for something else – mashed!)
6 carrots – using peeled skins only.
2 onions skins, outer couple couple layers, and cores.
2 cloves garlic, whole
1 celery bunch (tops & bottoms only) (Use the nice celery in whatever you like - tuna salad!)
2 tsp kosher salt or mountain salt or whatever you have.
Put all ingredients into a crockpot.
Cook for 6-8 hours or overnight or however long. You can't go wrong.
(I do overnight then keep on warm until ready to use.)
Pour crockpot contents through a strainer and mush out all remaining stock.
Toss away the vegetable remains. You are set to use it or refrigerate until ready to cook.
Black Eyed Peas prep:
1 lb black eyed peas
1 gallon water
1 clementine, juiced, add peels as well
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, whole
1 TBS white peppercorns, whole (or use ground pepper)
2 TSP kosher salt, or to taste
Soak overnight in large pot.
Drain and pick out clementine peels, bay leaves and whole garlic cloves when ready to use. Note - You may find some full peppercorn surprise bites in the final soup. I love that! If you, however like a don't like a hit of pepper when eating, just omit or use the ground stuff instead.
Collard Greens Pesto prep:
1/2 cup walnuts, whole (slightly browned in a cast iron skillet)
1 cup sautéed collard greens (set aside from above)
¼ cup Italian parsley
2 garlic, raw cloves
2 TBS olive oil
optional – salt to taste
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix until clumped together. You may add more olive oil if you like an more saucy consistency.
Goat Chevre prep: (to be made a few days ahead)
1/2 gallon goat milk.
Set on kitchen counter for a few days until the curds separate from the whey. The whey will look clear but yellowy.
Take a large bowl and cover the top with a fine cheesecloth or a cloth napkin.
Rubber band the cloth to the top of the bowl and make a shallow well in it (not touching the bottom of the inside of the bowl - you want the whey to separate out and the cheese to remain in the napkin without it soaking in the whey).
Pour the curds and whey through the cloth and allow it to stand overnight until strained. (On the counter or in the refrigerator, as you prefer).
Scoop the cheese off the cloth and put in a container. You may add in salt and herbs, or just use as is.
To listen to this Podcast go to http://kboo.fm/media/55586-ep1-black-eyed-pea-and-collard-greens-soup