Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens

Happy New Year! I’m a bit late in posting this recipe, but honestly, this comfort food Southern staple for Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens makes for a delicious meal on any cold winter night.

Black eyed peas are a New Years Day staple in the South, as eating them on New Years Day is thought to bring you prosperity throughout the year.

This version is a bit of a fridge and pantry cleaner. Or, at least it was for me after hosting a New Years Eve party.

I used leftover sandwich rolls to make bread crumbs, leftover bacon from New Years Day morning,  collard greens from a Blue Apron meal I forgot to make (oops), and then added in what was left of the onions, garlic, carrots and herbs I had on hand, which kind of turned this recipe into a cassoulet of sorts.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried black eyed peas
• 6 oz bacon, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 sprigs of rosemary, divided
• 4 sprigs of thyme, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
• about 1 cup chopped day old bread (I used one sandwich roll)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 bunch collard greens, ribs discarded, leaves chopped
• 2 cups cooked rice

The night before, add the black eyed peas to a large bowl. Fill with water at least two inches above the black eyed peas, cover, and let sit overnight. Drain and set aside.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon to the pan and cook until the bacon lets off some of its drippings and turns golden and somewhat crispy.

Add the onion, 5 garlic cloves, and the carrot, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Add in the diced tomatoes, 1 sprig of rosemary, 2 sprigs of thyme and hot sauce, stirring to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes.

Add in the drained black eyed peas.

Add about 2-3 cups water, or enough to cover the black eyed peas. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 50 minutes.

While the black eyed peas mixture simmers, add the bread pieces to a small food processor. Pulse until roughly ground.

Add in one garlic clove, the leaves from 1 sprig of rosemary and 2 springs of thyme. Pulse again until finely ground.

Rinse your collard greens. Remove the ribs and chop the leaves. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the collard greens and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted.

When the black eyed peas mixture is finished cooking, add the collard greens on top. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Add the breadcrumb mixture to a small pan over medium heat and toast, if desired.

To serve, spoon the black eyed peas and collard greens mixture over cooked rice. Top with the breadcrumbs.

Yum.  You can still taste some of the smokiness from the bacon, and the beans are nice and tender from cooking in the tomato broth.

The rice and breadcrumbs both work to soak up some of the broth which has really nice flavor from all of the ingredients.

The collard greens add some texture and a slight bitterness that adds another dimension of flavor. Delicious!

I don’t know if this dish will bring me luck in the new year, but it sure made for a delicious dinner!