New Year's Day Good Fortune Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. of collard greens, stems removed and chopped

1/2 lb. of cooked ham, diced

2 15oz. cans of black-eyed peas

1 small onion, diced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large carrot, diced

5 chipotle chiles, chopped

1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes

1 tsp. thyme

4 cups chicken broth

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

A pinch of sugar

2 T. of bacon grease (can use olive oil or vegetable oil if you prefer)

Salt and pepper to taste



Method:

1. In a large pot, cook the onion and carrot in the bacon grease on medium- high heat for 10 minutes or until onions start to turn golden. Add the garlic and cook for three more minutes.


2. Add to the pot the collard greens, vinegar, sugar, ham, chicken broth, chipotles, Ro-Tel tomatoes and thyme, and bring pot to a boil then simmer for half an hour, stirring occasionally.


3. Take one can of black-eyed peas and roughly mash with a fork. Add these and the other can of black-eyed peas to the pot.


4. Continue to simmer soup for another 45 minutes.

Serves 6-8

Happy New Year and much good fortune to us all!

Myra Wilson

Branch Librarian @ La Porte