GINA'S HOPPIN' JOHN SOUP

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Gina's Hoppin' John Soup image

GINA Ever since I was a little girl, my mom has been telling me that if you don't eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day you'll have a bad year ahead of you. Now, when I was younger I didn't care a bit. I was going through that awkward stage anyway-how much worse could it be? But as I got older, I learned to love that black-eyed pea tradition, convinced that my year was going to be fantastic! And you know what's funny? I tell my girls the same thing. Who says traditions and superstitions aren't effective? Not to mention that black-eyed peas are rich in calcium and vitamin A. What could be bad about that? Of course, this being a Gina recipe, I added in my favorite collard greens. . . . Mmm, even better.

Yield serves 4 to 6

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 small bunch (about 1 pound) collard greens
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces smoked ham steak, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 dried bay leaf
One 15 1/2-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices
1 cup cooked long-grain white rice
Dash of hot sauce, preferably Tabasco
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Parmesan cheese, grated, for topping

Steps:

  • Remove the stems and center ribs from the collard greens. Stack about six leaves on top of each other, roll into a cigar shape, and slice into thin ribbons.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, toss in the ham, onion, garlic, carrot, and celery, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, roughly 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the red-pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Add the collard greens, and sauté until they begin to soften.
  • Pour in the chicken broth, the bay leaf, the black-eyed peas, and the can of tomatoes with their juices. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes. Stir the rice into the soup to warm. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Spoon into bowls, and sprinkle each bowl with Parmesan cheese.

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