Traditional Black Eyed Pea Soup is a New Year’s Day favorite combining hearty black eyed peas, collard greens and smokey bacon.

Our New Year’s Day tradition continues for over 20 years now with Black Eyed Peas Soup. Smokey bacon, creamy black eyed peas and ribbons of collard greens are sure to bring you a prosperous New Year! Legend says black eyed peas represent coins, collard greens are dollar bills and bacon, well, you’ve heard of the saying “cutting a fat hog”.
There are so many New Year’s traditions around the world. From eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight in Spain to hanging an onion on your door in Greece. Our Polish relatives may be following in their New year’s traditions by taking an ice bath before dinner and keeping fish scales in their wallet for the year.
Whatever your family tradition is, we leave the old behind and move forward into the New Year with a fresh start. I often sit in my teepee and let the bad release up through the top and into the sky, leaving room for all the new adventures of the coming year. Thank you for all of your support.
Black Eyed Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 4 slices good smokey bacon cut in lardons
- 1 cup yellow sweet onion diced
- 1/2 cup carrot diced
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 splash white wine
- 4 15 oz cans black eyed peas drained
- 6 cups good chicken broth
- 1 Pinch parsley and thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups collard greens chiffonade
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- Cook bacon lardons in a large medium high heat until fat is rendered and bacon is browned.
- Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Saute over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Splash about 1/4 cup white wine in the pot and cook until absorbed.
- Add black eyed peas, chicken broth, herbs, collard greens, salt and pepper.
- Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Add heavy cream.
- Serve with Parmesan and garlic bread.
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