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Sunday, December 30, 2012

Sunday's Soup

New Year's Prosperity Soup
When I was growing up, it was a tradition to eat blackeyed peas on New Year's Day. In the south it is believed that this little pea brings about prosperity. I was told that for every pea I ate, an extra dollar would come to me in the new year. Now that may just have been a ploy to get me to eat them, but I wasn't about to take any chances and ate as many as I could. I still do!!! 
Today's soup is a mix of lots of good things, cabbage,
carrots, celery and leeks. So if the soup doesn't bring about prosperity, at least it may aide in a healthy diet. This recipe makes a VERY large pot of soup. I like to freeze it in smaller containers and break it out over the winter.
The ingredients;
1 16oz. package of dried blackeyed peas
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium head of cabbage chopped
1 pound of carrots sliced
2 leeks chopped
3 stalks of celery chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 cup of uncooked wild rice
2 cloves of garlic chopped
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of dried sage
3 large cubes of Knorr Vegetable Bouillon
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by soaking the peas overnight. If you by chance forget to soak overnight, put them in a pot and cover well with water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Place lid on pot, turn off heat and allow to sit for one hour. This method works really well.
Once the peas are ready, saute the leeks and the celery in oil until tender. Add the remainder of the ingredients and 20 to 24 cups of water. I know this sounds like a lot, but remember that the rice is uncooked and it will soak up some of the water. This is also a rather large pot of soup.
Bring the soup to a good rolling boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for approximately 1 hour or until rice is cooked and the peas are tender. If you would like a meat version of this soup, add some ham or a ham hock to the mix.
You'll end up with a soup that is very rich in vitamins, great for the winter months, and who knows, it just may bring about a little luck in the New Year. What do you have to loose?
Enjoy,
Rhonda



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9 comments:

  1. This is a great soup recipe, but would be very strange to eat in the heat of the Australian New Year. My family tradition is to spend NY day picnicing with longstanding friends on Balmoral Beach http://www.pleasetakemeto.com/australia/balmoral-beach/images

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    1. It's just so difficult for me to wrap my mind around being that warm this time of year. I grew up in a much warmer climate than I live in now, but it was at least chilly. I always dreamed of living somewhere that actually gets snow for Christmas. I got my wish!
      Wishing you a very Happy New Year Gail!

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  2. Another option for black eye peas. They are also traditional for Cubans, so I always try to include them on New Year' s.

    Happy New Year and thanks for the recipe!

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    1. I had no idea that blaceyed peas are traditional for Cubans. Really interesting. A friend of mine gave me a beautiful herb called Cuban Oregano. I have yet to use it, but it has such a wonderful fragrance. I have the plant sitting on my kitchen counter. I just love rubbing the leaves for the fragrance.
      Happy New Year Lisette!

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  3. I made this for a New Year's Eve supper tonight. Leftovers will be consumed tomorrow too! It is delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe.

    Happy New Year!

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    1. I'm so happy that you enjoyed the soup. Thanks for giving it a try. Hopefully all those blaceyed peas will bring you lots of prosperity in the coming year! Happy New Year!

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  4. I am so happy that you enjoyed the soup. Thanks so much for giving it a try. Hopefully all those blaceyed peas will bring you lots of prosperity in the coming year!

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  5. Rhonda: You combine two of my hobbies: Sewing and cooking. I have prepared nearly all of your soup recipes, and they are the best! It's brussel sprout soup today. Thank you for the recipes. I'm still getting the hang of some of the clothing, and look forward to the challenges as well. Have a great 2013. Rhonda M.

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    1. Wow! I'm so happy that you like the recipes. I'm interested to hear what you think of the Brussel Sprout soup. One lady who follows the blog said that she has never liked Brussel Sprouts but loved the soup. So good luck and I hope you enjoy it!

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