We all know that soup is popular in the cold months, and for good reason! But I’m one of those who enjoys soup just about any time of year. So, it’s never off the menu for us.

Here’s a delicious soup that combines black-eye peas, rice, tomatoes, and kale…a wonderful combination of ingredients! AND it’s loaded with great nutritional impact. On top of that, I developed the recipe to be really simple to put together. So, it’s a win-win for anyone who opts to try it!

Below is a video link where I demonstrate how to make the soup. The written recipe is below the video. I hope this helps!

Enjoy!
Judi

Black-Eye Pea and Kale Soup
Makes About 10 Cups of Soup (5 Meal-Size Servings)

6 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 cups cooked black-eye peas (or 1 (15 oz can) black-eye peas)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (any type), with the juice
½ cup uncooked rice of choice
4 cups chopped kale
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
2 dried Bay leaves
1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil leaves
Salt and black pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a large pot with a lid.* Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour, until all vegetables are tender and flavors blended. Remove bay leaves and serve.

Leftover soup should be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator and used within 5 days. Extra soup may also be frozen, and will be best if used within 6 months.

* Optional step based on your preference. If preferred, you can first sauté the vegetables in 1 or 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Sauté them briefly, just until they start to soften. Then add the remaining ingredients and follow the directions from there. Or, you can add a little oil to the bowl as the soup is served, as a finishing touch. The added oil will give the soup a greater depth of flavor.

About Judi

Julia W. Klee (Judi) began her journey enjoying “all things food” in elementary school when she started preparing meals for her family. That love of food blossomed into a quest to learn more and more about health and wellness as related to nutrition. She went on to earn a BS Degree in Food and Nutrition, then an MS Degree in Nutrition. She has taught nutrition and related courses at the college level to pre-nursing and exercise science students. Her hunger to learn didn’t stop upon graduation from college. She continues to research on a regular basis about nutrition as it relates to health. Her hope is to help as many people as possible to enjoy foods that promote health and wellness.