Good Luck Soup
- 1 pound dried black-eyed peas (they don't need to be soaked)
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 ham hock
- 1/3rd pound smoked ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 dried whole chili peppers (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper)
- 1 10-ounce package frozen cut okra, thawed (fresh okra, sliced, is fine)
- salt to taste
In a large soup pot, combine the peas, stock, ham hock, ham cubes, onions, pepper, celery, garlic, and chili peppers. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, re-cover the pot, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
When the peas are tender, stir in the okra and salt to taste, bring back to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 more minutes. The soup should be thickening and you should stir it frequently to prevent scorching. Remove the cover and cook, stirring, until creamy thick--as much as 10 minutes.
If you are ready to serve, remove the ham hock and chilis and ladle into bowls. If you are saving to serve later, let cool in the pot, then refrigerate. Reheat carefully, stirring often, when preparing to serve.
ETA:I made the following changes to the recipe:- I sauteed the vegetables in olive oil until soft and beginning to brown, before adding the stock and the beans.
- I didn't have dried chilies so I used cayenne instead, about a teaspoon's worth.
- I certainly didn't add any extra salt - it was salty enough from the ham hock.
No comments:
Post a Comment