CREOLE BLACK EYE PEA SPINACH AND KIELBASA SOUP

Happy New Year!!!  My cousin by marriage texted me the coolest GIF today.  It said 365 New Days, 365 New Chances.  What a wonderfully positive way to start the new year out.  Thank you so much, Tom White.  I love you and am very thankful that you are my cousin.  I really do not believe in resolutions because I think it sets you up for failure.  Plus why do you have to wait for a new year to start something?  I firmly believe that you are in charge of your own destiny and I am a half full type girl. 

In the South, on New Years Day we eat specific goods for a specific purpose.  A traditional Southern meal on this day is important to us folks.  After all, according to folklore eating black eye peas, greens, pork, and cornbread will ensure not only good luck, it will provide prosperity and good health for the year. 

• Black eye peas symbolize coins or wealth.
• Greens mean money, cash, dollars etc.  
• Pork means prosperity, wealth and good health.  
• Cornbread means gold due to the color.  Eating cornbread is thought to bring you money in the year.

My friend Brooke text me a soup recipe that includes all of these foods and with that thought, I decided this year I am trying something new.  Of course, me being me, I totally changed the recipe into something different.  In the past, I would fix a pork roast, collard or turnip greens, black eye peas, and cornbread.  

First, start with chopped and sliced celery, carrots, and onions.  I use my dutch oven a lot when I make soup.  Pour a bit of olive oil in the pre-heated dutch oven and saute the vegetables.  

Add sliced kielbasa and cook with the vegetables.

Add diced tomatoes.

I decided to use Creole Black Eye Peas and homemade chicken broth.  

Add chicken broth and Creole black eye peas to the dutch oven.

Cook this low and slow for several hours.

Before serving add fresh chopped spinach.

You only need to wilt the spinach.

CREOLE BLACKEYE PEA SPINACH AND KIELBASA SOUP

Ingredients 

• 1 large carrot sliced
• 2 stalks celery sliced
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 jars Creole black eye peas 
• 2 - 14 ounce diced tomatoes
• 1-pint chicken stock
• 1 package of kielbasa 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces of fresh rough chopped spinach

Directions

• Slice carrot, celery, and dice the onion. 
• Preheat your dutch oven on medium while you cut your vegetables.
• Add olive oil to dutch oven and place the vegetables into the pot and saute for 5 minutes.  If using fresh minced garlic add into the pot and cook an additional 2 minutes.  
• Add diced tomatoes, chicken stock, spices, and sliced kielbasa.  
• Allow cooking low and slow for 2 or more hours.
• 5 minutes before serving add chopped spinach.  

I like my soups chunky so when I am slicing my celery and carrots I like to have large pieces so they do not cook away in the soup.

Variations

• Swap spinach for kale or collard greens.
• Swap kielbasa for Italian sausage.
• Add cook orzo.
• Use plain blackeye peas.  Or beans like cannellini beans of Northern beans.
• Swap out chicken stock with beef, pork or vegetable stock.

ENJOY!!