Spicy Black Eyed Pea Soup

It's interesting how a recipe evolves in our house.  We don't start out to create one, but as they say "invention is the mother of necessity."  We had Eckrich Link Sausage leftover from another recipe and had the "necessity" to use it, so came up with this easy Spicy Black Eyed Pea Soup.

I came home one day and Bret had diced the sausage and added it to a can of black eyed peas, which we always have in the cupboard.  It was pretty darn good, so I started playing with the combination and found that keeping it simple was the best way to go. 

I almost called it a stew because it can be - depending on how much water you put into it. 

Bret prefers the chunky stuff and I prefer the soup part, and that's how the final version of this came about!  We always make quick corn muffins as a companion to it and often serve it with a side of fruit to round it out. 

Now that it's getting colder outside we'll have this Spicy Black Eyed Pea Soup often to warm us up.  

It's easy to make, actually fairly healthy (except for the warm muffins slathered in butter...), and is now a staple in my recipe book. 

If you'd rather use beef sausage, go ahead.  Make it vegetarian and leave out the meat altogether.  Even a quarter pound of ground beef would work!

You can play with this delicious soup and make it your own.  Or make it like we like it!

Enjoy!

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Black Eyed Pea Soup

Yield: 4 -5

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

We love this healthy, hearty soup when the weather turns cold.  The combination of vegetables and spices is just right!

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Ingredients

• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 link, (about 6.5 oz) smoked turkey sausage, diced
• 2 cans black eyed peas
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes (or tomatoes with peppers)
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ C medium salsa
• 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapenos, (optional)
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• Water

Instructions

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, sauté the diced sausage in the olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. 
2. Add the black eyed peas, including liquid, and the can of Rotel, including liquid.  Stir in the onion and garlic powders, salsa, jalapenos (optional), salt and pepper.  Add one black eyed pea can (about 2 Cups) of water and stir.  
3. Bring to a boil on medium high heat, then turn to medium low and simmer for about 20 minutes until flavors are blended. Serve with cornbread.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

We like the soup spicy, so we use medium Rotel along with the jalapenos - you can use a mild salsa and no jalapenos if you prefer it milder.

Sometimes I pick up the black eyed peas with bacon or onion and that adds a nice flavor to the soup.

If I don't have a can of Rotel tomatoes, I use petite diced tomatoes and a can of green chiles. This lasts quite a while in the refrigerator and tastes better every day.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 bowl
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 123Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 591mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 8g

Nutritional Values are Approximate.