Black Eyed Pea & Bacon Soup
Black Eyed Pea & Bacon Soup
Black Eyed Peas may be a Southern tradition for New Year’s Day but you can enjoy this delicious and flavorful soup any time of year! Plant based bacon is the perfect smoky addition to this soup which is hearty and packed with vegetables like carrots, collard greens and turnips. This soup is easy to make and is sure to satisfy! Serve it up with some homade cornbread for a complete Southern feel or toasted bread to dip in with.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pkg (8 strips) MyBacon Plant Based Bacon
2 cans 15 oz (850g) Black Eyed Peas, rinsed
2 ribs Celery, diced
2 medium Carrots, diced
1 small (215g) Onion, diced
1 small (220g) Turnip, peeled and cubed
3-4 large (about 3 cups chopped) Collard Green leaves, stems removed and chopped
5 cloves Garlic, minced
4 cups (946ml) Vegan Beef or Vegetable Broth
2 cups (473ml) Water
2 tsp (10g) Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
2-3 splashes Liquid Smoke
Pepper to taste
Serve with
Hot Sauce
Corn Bread or Hearty Crusted Bread
Directions
1.Cook the bacon until lightly crispy, set onto a paper towel lined plate to drain. Once cooled, give the bacon a rough chop and set aside. Reserve both the rendered oil from cooking as well as any unused coconut oil left in the package.
2. Heat a large soup pot on medium heat and add in all of the coconut oil from the bacon. You can also use 2 Tbps of oil instead. Add in the onions and celery and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until the onions become translucent.
3. Add in the turnip, carrot and thyme and continue cooking for 4-6 minutes. Add in the garlic and collard greens and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant.
4.Add in the black eyed peas, bay leaves, 1/4 of the cooked bacon, a few dashes of liquid smoke, broth and water. Mix well and cover the pot. Bring everything to a boil then lower the heat and keep the soup at a simmer for 15 minutes or until all of the vegetables are tender.
5.Once everything is tender add in the rest of the bacon make sure to reserve some for garnish. Check for seasoning and add pepper if desired. Mix well, remove the bay leaves and serve hot with a side of cornbread or crusted bread like sourdough.
