Recipe: Curried Black Eyed Pea Soup

I think that this will be a week full of SOUPS! Or stews! Or soups, stews, chilis, chowders, etc. While I call this one a soup I think it is more of a stew with how chunky it is. You know what though? I don't know where to draw the line between soup and stew. There is NO WAY I'm going to use Ray-Ray's "stoup" term either. 

Whatever it is technically called, I call it good. It's an awesome way to get a ton of veggies into your day. I know the ingredient list is a bit long but trust me on this one. It's such a nice combination of flavors and super healthy.

Okay, I did serve it with some really decadent paratha bread but that's not such a huge deal. I had my kid eat it anyway. I was SO FULL from this soup that I couldn't eat anything else.
I packed some in the Mr.'s lunch and he loved it too!

Recipe notes...

*You can use any kind of beans that you want here. I think that chickpeas/garbanzo beans would be obvious but consider trying lentils, pinto beans or even large lima beans.

*You can also change out the greens if you don't like or cannot find collard greens. Kale or spinach would be lovely. If you use spinach I would suggest throwing it in at the last couple of minutes so it doesn't get horribly overcooked.

*You know what your family and yourself can handle when considering spice levels. My daughter doesn't mind spicy but if you are unsure then leave out the jalapeno and start with 1/2 of the curry and 1/2 of the garam masala. Be sure you buy mild curry is that it isn't spicy to begin with.

Curried Black Eyed Pea Soup

makes 12 - 1 cup servings

2 cans black eyed peas, drained (or about 3 cups)
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, minced (optional)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 cups collard greens, chopped
1 - 15oz can diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups vegetable broth
2 Tablespoons mild curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon of salt (or more to taste)


Set a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add in the onion, pepper and carrot. You can add in a couple of tablespoons of water to keep everything from sticking if your pan is not nonstick.
Cook the vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Stir while they are cooking to prevent sticking.
Turn the heat up to high and add in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and place the lid on the pot. Turn the heat down to low and simmer the soup for 25-30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Check the seasonings (do you want more salt? more spice?) and serve!
I suggest serving it with some yummy flatbread or pita.


Nutritional information per serving : Serving size: 1 cup soup
2 WWPointsPlus, 80 calories, 0.4g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 17.6g carbohydrates, 4.5g fiber, 4.4g sugar, 2.4g protein