Blackeye Pea Soup

Yield: 8 one-cup servings

Ingredients

8 oz dried black-eyed peas
1 strip bacon, cut in small pieces
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 carrot, peeled and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 celery rib, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Hambone or smoked ham hocks (optional)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Salt and hot sauce, to taste

Method

1. Inpect the peas to be sure there are no stones included (most beans are mechanically processed and there are occasional inclusions). Soak them overnight, then drain and rinse well.

2. Sauté the bacon slowly in a skillet until just starting to crisp. Remove to a side plate.

3. In the bacon pan, slowly sauté the onion, carrot, celery and sweet red pepper until the onion is translucent.

4. Place the peas, bacon, vegetables, thyme, red pepper flakes and hambone or hocks (if using) in a slow cooker or soup pot. Add about 6 cups water. The peas should be at least covered by the water. Cook at a slow simmer for about 2 hours, until beans are tender. If you're using the optional ham bone or hocks, skim fat from the surface occasionally.

5. Whisk the cornstarch into a cup of the soup broth and then stir into the soup. Cook another 15 minutes or so until the soup thickens.

6. Correct seasoning.

I like to serve this soup with some minced scallions on top and bottle of hot sauce close at hand.

Variation: For traditional hoppin' john, in which rice is cooked in the soup liquid, replace step 5 with the following: "Stir in 1 cup long-grain white rice, cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes without lifiting the lid." The yield for the hoppin' john variation is 10 cups; per serving: 151 calories; 29 g carbohydrates; 3 g fiber; 1 g fat; Weight Watchers: 3 points.

Nutritional Estimate 8 Servings, 1 cup each. Per serving: 105 Calories; 18 g Total Carbs; 3 g Dietary Fiber; 3 g Sugars; 1 g Fat; 5 mg Cholesterol; 63 mg Sodium; 6 g Protein. Weight Watchers: 2 points.