Signature Dish of the Day: Hearty Black-Eyed Pea Soup
Signature Dish of the Day: Our signature dish of the day is this colorful and deeply flavorful Hearty Black-Eyed Pea Soup! Although referred to as peas, black-eyed peas are actually beans that are classified as a species of cowpeas and are a member of the legume family. They are smaller in size compared to regular beans and have distinctive black spots at their center that makes them easily recognizable as can be seen in the photo below. Despite their seemingly small size, they are rich in a host of beneficial nutrients and are a perfect addition to a healthy lunch or dinner menu.
One particular quality that I love about these unique legumes is that unlike most dry beans, they don't need to be soaked overnight prior to cooking. This is a huge time saver for sure and significantly reduces the amount of prep time required beforehand! In my case, I only soaked them in cold water for about 4 hours before boiling the thoroughly rinsed beans for about 45 minutes until they were tender. I then drained the boiling water completely and set the beans aside. To create my delicious soup, I first sautéed a combination of diced red onions, tomatoes, and julienned slices of 2 small beets in some extra virgin olive oil in a large pot. The beets not only made the soup more colorful and turned the beans into a beautiful reddish-pinkish color, but also naturally contributed towards thickening the soup. I seasoned the base mixture with some ground black pepper, dry rosemary flakes, smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric, and a dash of salt. I added about 1/4 cup of water to the mixture to begin developing the base broth and let this simmer for about 5 minutes. Thereafter, I poured in the boiled beans, added about 3 cups of water and seasoned with some salt to taste, and covered the pot to let the soup simmer under medium heat for about 15 minutes until it had achieved a nice smooth and thick consistency. I garnished with some dry parsley about 2 minutes before turning off the heat and removing the soup from the stove. Simple and easy to prepare, this heart-warming soup comes packed with abundant flavor and is very healthy too. Give it a try sometime and let us know what your verdict is on this unique member of the legume family. Enjoy! 😋💗
