Happy New Year, friends! Did you eat your (black-eyed) peas on January 1? There are lots of good reasons to do so.
Black-eyed peas are a Southern tradition on New Year’s Day. Just eating them is said to bring you prosperity and luck, and some Southern households take it even further. It’s customary to boil a new coin in your pot of black-eyed peas, with extra luck promised to the person who gets the coin in her bowl. Other families count out exactly 365 peas–one to bring luck for each day of the year.
Good fortune aside, black-eyed peas are great for your health. One cup of black-eyed peas provides nearly 9 grams of fiber, plus hefty doses of magnesium, calcium, and iron. All of this, with very little fat.
Our new favorite way to enjoy black-eyed peas is in soup. The sausage in this one gives a nice, savory flavor–the perfect dish for a chilly winter day. We hope you enjoy it (and that it brings you luck ;)).
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Black-Eyed Pea Soup with Chicken Sausage & Spinach
Ingredients
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1 lb. chicken andouille sausage links (4), cut into 1/2″ slices
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 small or 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 1/4 c. white wine
- 2 T. lemon juice
- 2 (15.8-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 2 T. smoked paprika
- 1 T. garlic powder
- 1 t. fennel seeds
- 1 T. maple syrup
- 4 c. tightly packed baby spinach
- 4 c. vegetable broth
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, brown coarsely chopped sausage with onions and garlic over medium high heat until sausage is browned and no longer pink (about 5-6 minutes), stirring constantly (crumble sausage while cooking). Drain off any fat from sausage.
- Deglaze with white wine and lemon juice.
- Add spices and broth, Stir to combine.
- Bring to a gentle boil and reduce heat to simmer.
- Add black-eyed peas and spinach and stir to combine. Cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.
- Simmer 10 minutes to mend flavors.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 353
- Sugar: 2.7 g
- Sodium: 830.6 mg
- Fat: 13.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 38.9 g
- Fiber: 11.4 g
- Protein: 19.5 g
- Cholesterol: 67.2 mg