Happy New Year Soup!

While 2011 has been a successful and fulfilling year full of love and laughter, adventures and surprises, and lots of delicious food shared with friends and family, it's always exciting to look forward to what a new year will bring.

Tomorrow, MD and I will be celebrating the first day of the New Year over a hearty black-eyed pea soup and warm, buttery cornbread. It’s a great meal for a fun tradition, even if it is a little superstitious.

It’s not too late for you to grab up some black-eyed peas and ring in 2012 with a traditional meal. 

(But I do encourage you trot over to your nearest grocer ASAP and pick up some peas before they are gone!)

This spicy soup is sure to warm your belly as you look forward to a new year ahead.

Happy New Year! 

Cheers,

Christi 

Happy New Year Soup 

Ingredients: 
16 ounces dried black-eyed peas 

1 1/2 cups chopped celery 

1 1/2 cups chopped onion 

1 1/2 cups chopped carrots

2 cups chopped cabbage

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves (remove before serving) 

2 teaspoons salt, more to taste

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste 

6 cups vegetable broth 


Directions:
Soak peas in plenty of water overnight. 

Before cooking, drain and rinse. 

Place the beans and chopped carrots in a large pot to boil for 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Drain water. 

Pour the cooked beans and carrots back into the large pot and add remaining ingredients. Boil on medium-high for 1 hour.


OR-- You can toss everything in a slow cooker on medium and let it do its magic for 6-8 hours. Check on it about half way through, give it a stir and turn up the heat to high.