Black-Eyed Pea Soup Recipe with Kale and Rice (Vegan)
This cozy, smoky Black-Eyed Pea Soup, a celebration of flavors, marries the earthy richness of black-eyed peas with the robust texture of kale and the satisfying heartiness of rice, creating a thick and comforting soup that's perfect for cooler temps.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil *Can use water or broth for oil-free options
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, minced
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 medium sweet potato, or 2 small ones, chopped into small pieces
- 4 cups of cooked black-eye peas or 2.5 - 15.5 ounce cans, rinsed and drained.
- ¾ cup rice blend, see notes
- 2 tablespoons boullion
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 8 cups water
- 2-3 stalks of kale stems removed and leaves chopped into small pieces (~2 ounces)
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat avocado oil over medium heat in soup pot. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes or until translucent. Then add bell pepper and garlic and sauté for another 3 minutes.
- Add sweet potato, black-eyed peas, rice, vegetable bouillon, liquid smoke, paprika, salt, and water to the pot. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and let it simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped kale and continue to simmer, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and season with pepper to taste
Notes
This recipe was inspired by and adapted from Kathy Hester's New Year's Soup with Black-Eyed Peas, as featured in her cookbook 'The Great Vegan Bean Book.'
I like to use RiceSelect Royal Blend Texmati White Brown and Red Rice but any rice blend, wild rice, or long-grain brown rice should work well in this soup. A long-grain brown rice may need an extra 5 minutes when cooking.
Don't overcook the kale: Be sure to add the kale during the last 15 minutes of simmering the soup to prevent it from becoming over cooked and mushy.
This soup is designed to be thick and chunky soup. If you prefer a soup with a lot of broth, feel free to add more at the end if this is something you prefer.