Good Luck Soup!

This soup is amazing...there is no other way for me to describe my love for soups like this aside from the fact that I could eat them every day, perhaps even for breakfast!  This hearty soup combines three (yes, 3) lucky foods, black-eyed peas, collard greens, and bacon with vegetables. Enjoy on New Year's Day, or any day, for a satisfying, warming meal. If you prefer your soup to have a thicker consistency, mash some of the cooked peas against the side of the pot, then stir them back into the broth before adding the collard greens and carrots.  Enjoy!

BLACK EYED PEA SOUP WITH COLLARD GREENS AND BACON

Ingredients
2 cups dried black-eyed peas
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 pound nitrate free bacon, cut into small slivers
1 organic sweet potato, cut into 1/8 inch pieces
3 carrots, chopped
1 bunch collard greens, tough stems and ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced
8+ cups water
2 T apple cider vinegar
½ inch Cayenne or Ancho chile pepper powder (to taste)
1-2 tsp. Sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

Method
Carefully pick through peas to remove any debris or small stones and rinse well. Transfer to a large bowl, cover by 3 inches with water, cover and set aside at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight; drain and rinse well.

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add bacon and cook until brown.  Remove bacon from pot with slotted spoon, to plate lined with paper towels.  Remove all but 2 T. bacon oil in bottom of pan (I use a paper towel to do this).  Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent, 5 to 8 minutes.  Add carrots and yam/sweet potatoes and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.  Add peas and enough water to cover vegetable/pea mixture by 1-2 inches (should be over 8 cups of water).  Bring to a boil and skim off and discard any foam on the surface. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until peas are tender, about 1 hour. Add collard greens and cook for 5 minutes more. Season with salt, pepper, chile powder, and apple cider vinegar.  Serve into bowls and add reserved bacon bits as a topper.

Per serving (18oz serving): 310 calories (150 from fat), 16g total fat, 3.5g saturated fat, 17g protein, 27g total carbohydrate (8g dietary fiber, 6g sugar), 20mg cholesterol, 500 mg sodium