In West Africa, black eyed peas are considered a good luck charm and are consumed to ward off evil so this black eyed peas soup will surely keep you in good stead. The legume was prepared to commemorate special occasions but only became synonymous with old years during slavery. Most likely because slaves had to prepare a special meal for the slave masters in celebration of the new calendar year.

Here in Trinidad & Tobago, preparing black eyed peas for Old Years to bring prosperity in the new year is a tradition that is alive and well. A few people have told me in the past they don’t like black eyed peas. My response to that is I’ve never met a pea or bean that I didn’t like and my suspicion is that anyone who has a dislike for black eyed peas has never had one prepared properly.

The great thing about this soup recipe is that you can easily use the same herbs, spices and aromatics to make your black eyed peas rice cook up.

Black Eyed Peas Soup

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Ingredients

• 2 cups dried black eyed peas
• 1 large onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 cups pumpkin, cubed
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper
• 2 cups sweet potato, cubed
• 2 cups eddoes, cubed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp whole geera
• 6 shadon beni leaves, chopped
• 4 tbsp Portuguese thyme
• 1 tbsp roucou
• 4 tbsp oil
• 8 cups water
• 8 cups bone broth or stock
• salt & black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Add oil to pressure cooker then toast geera seeds for 30 seconds
2. Add onion, garlic and ginger then sauté for 30 seconds
3. Add pumpkin, black eyed peas, bay leaf, roucou, half of the herbs and water to the pressure cooker
4. Cover then allow to cook for 30 minutes
5. Use a potato masher to mash some of the peas in the pot
6. Season with salt & black pepper to taste
7. Add bone broth or stock then add sweet potato, eddoes and scotch bonnet pepper (adjust thickness to your preference by adding more liquid)
8. Cook for 10 minutes or until provisions are tender
9. Finish off with remaining fresh herbs
10. Serve and enjoy

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