Well if we can start celebrating Christmas in October, I can celebrate New Year`s in November. Well it was`t so much New Year`s but the soup I make after our New Year`s Day lunch.
We are a soup family in the winter. My hubby loves it and thanks to the slow cooker, soup makes my life easier. And there is nothing better than on a cold, dark evening opening my door to the smell of soup simmering in the crock pot. It makes me feel like my house is giving me a big old welcome home hug. And yesterday I wanted one of those hugs in the form of New Year`s Soup.
This soup is normally made with the leftovers from our New Year`s Day lunch. In the South that consists of a pork roast, blacked peas and collards. AND the best thing of all the pot liquor from the collards. We are expecting cold weather tomorrow and I was craving this soup and knew it would be perfect for that first really cold NC day. So I decided to try it from scratch and the results were pretty tasty. There is even some left for the actual cold day!
I did forget one step - soaking the black eyed peas overnight but here is the simple fix. Put them in a pot and add enough water to cover about 1/2 an inch higher than the beans. Bring to a soft boil, once boiling turn the heat down and simmer for 10-15 minutes. This should not add extra prep time. Do this first before you start putting the soup together and your timing will be spot on.
Here is what you need-
10 oz of fresh collards
A note about the fresh collards- They should be easy to find this time of year. I see pre-washed bags in the produce section all the time. If not, use frozen. You can use any green variety you prefer but I would avoid baby spinach. It may not surviving the long cooking time without disintegrating. If you use frozen, I do not have an exact measurement. Add as much of as you would like. However, if you can find fresh, use them. They add depth and flavor to the broth that cannot be beat!
16 oz sausage (You may use link and slice it into links or bulk and crumble it. I prefer hot but mild or medium are perfectly fine!)
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 tbsp oil
1cup of dry black eyed peas *sorted
1 14.5 oz can of tomatoes
1 15 oz can of corn
2 beef broth bullion cubes
3 1/2 pints stove top/ 3 pints slow cooker of water (I use a pint mason jar to measure. It`s how grandma did it and we do not question the grandma.)
Salt and pepper to taste
*Sorted means that you have sifted through the beans to make sure there are no rocks in them and that any disagreeable beans have been picked out.
You can make this on the stove top or in the slow cooker. I will be honest, the two versions do taste different from slow cooker to stove top. I find slow cooker flavors a little more muted than stove top due to the slow cooking time. A splash of lemon or vinegar helps brighten the flavor of slow cooked soups and stews. A little lemon juice (1-2 tbsp) added to this before serving and stirred in well really adds to the flavor. But this step is not necessary.
Layer your greens in the bottom of your crock. This step is EXTREMELY important. If you don`t add them first, you may have a hard time getting everything to fit.
Brown your sausage and onion in a skillet with the oil. Your sausage will render fat so the oil may seem unnecessary but it is a precaution to prevent burning. Drain. I just scoop my out with a slotted spoon letting as much fat drip as possible when time to add it to the crock.
If you soaked your beans overnight, drain them and add them to the crock if there is any remaining water. If you simmered them, add the beans and water to the crock. You may drain these as well but I like to use that liquid. If you use the simmered bean water adjust your water from 3 pints to 2 1/2.
Add the sausage and onion. The heat will help wilt the greens making a little more room. Add the remaining ingredients to the crock. Cook of low for 7-8 hours or high for 4.
Before serving, stir the soup well to make sure everything is mixed together. I usually do this about halfway through the cooking process if I am at home, adding an additional 30 minutes of cooking time. Or if I am making this during the work week, I stir at as soon as I walk in the door and let it continue to cook before we eat at 6:30. If you stir halfway through, the ingredients may not be done and you need to add extra cooking time because removing the lid even for a few seconds brings the temperature down.
Stove top-
In a dutch oven, brown your onion and sausage. Scoop as much fat as possible out. Add your collards and remaining ingredients. Stir, put the lid on and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
The stove to soup will have a thicker consistency than the crock pot soup. Even with a lid there will be some evaporation.
Serve with *biscuits to sop up the goodness and you will have a happy belly!
I serve this with 7-up biscuits which I will be posting today. My wonderful, kind taste testers said putting the biscuits in the soup made it even better. And I do what they say because they are AWESOME!
Keep it Sassy!
love-j
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