New Year’s Soup – TheirSearches

Black-Eyed Peas, Sausage, and Collard Green

Hi there! When I cook for myself and my four grown sons, I always focus on flavor. I cook with a lot of heart, and I rarely use exact measurements. If you cook from the soul, you’ll know what I mean! Here’s my tried-and-true recipe for New Year’s Soup, packed with black-eyed peas, sausage, and collard greens—a hearty, flavorful meal to bring in good luck for the new year.

Ingredients

1 lb dried black-eyed peas – soak for a few hours. No need for an overnight soak since they’ll cook low and slow in the crockpot.
4 bunches of collard greens – wash thoroughly, trim the ends, and roughly chop (not too small).
2 lbs pork sausage links – cook in a skillet, then add to the soup.
2 small cartons chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 large can Rotel tomatoes
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Sugar – about 1 tablespoon (or less, to your taste) to balance the bitterness of the greens.
Water – about 1 1/2 cups; adjust as needed during cooking.
Salt and pepper – add towards the end, adjusting to taste.
Optional: a dash of hot sauce for a little kick!

Directions

Prep the Ingredients

Soak the black-eyed peas for a few hours.
Roughly chop the collard greens after washing and trimming the ends.
Brown the sausage in a skillet, then slice into pieces.

Assemble the Soup

In a large crockpot, combine the soaked peas, collard greens, cooked sausage, chicken stock, minced garlic, Rotel tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, and tomato paste.
Add sugar to taste and about 1 1/2 cups of water. You can add more water if needed after it cooks down a bit.

Slow Cook

Set your crockpot to low and let the soup cook overnight or for at least 10 hours. The long cooking time melds the flavors together beautifully.

Taste and Adjust

Taste the soup and adjust seasoning, adding salt, pepper, or a bit more water if needed. Feel free to add a dash of hot sauce if you like a bit of heat!

Serve with Love

This soup is meant to be shared, bringing warmth and comfort to all who enjoy it. Cooking is a form of love, and this easy crockpot recipe lets you add your own touches to make it uniquely yours.