Black Eyed Pea Soup

Recently, I have been cooking with more beans. I am trying to replace one meal a week with a vegetarian option....1. because meat can get expensive and 2. it adds more variety to J and I's diet.

Beans are an excellent source or protein, carbohydrates, and fiber (I think we all know that one). "but what about the sodium" you ask?
Well there are two simple solutions to that

1. Cook with dried beans. This is very easy and you can cut the cooking time in half by soaking them overnight.
OR
2. Rinse and drain your beans that come canned. A recent study done by the University of Tennessee showed that draining reduced sodium by 35% and rinsing reduced it by 41%!


Black Eyed Pea Soup

look at these beautiful beans

Ingredients:
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped fine
5 firm potatoes, well scrubbed and grated
4 stalk of celery with leaves, chopped fine
5 small firm zucchini, trimmed and grated
2 parsnips, peeled and grated
2 thick carrots, peeled and grated
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and passed through garlic press (or finely chopped)
6 C Watkins chicken broth or vegetable stock
1 tsp sea salt
pinch of black pepper
1-2 C black eyed peas, cooked in water until tender (about 45minutes) or rinsed and drained
handful or fresh parsley or dried, chopped

Instructions:
Add olive oil to soup pan or Dutch oven. Heat on medium-high. Add onion and cook until soft. Place grated potatoes into pan and stir. Add other veggies and garlic and stir well. Add stock, sea salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.

Let simmer for several minutes. Using hand immersion blender, puree soup until quite smooth. Add black-eyed peas and simmer until heated through. Ladle into bowls, garnish with extra beans and parsley. Enjoy!

Nutrition for 2 cups: 238 calories, 8g protein, 41g carbs, 6g fat, 1g sat fat, 7g fiber, 700mg sodium (less if you use dried beans)


Did you know: according to recent studies, grating food helps breakdown plant material, which increases the body's ability to absorb nutrients.

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good...
www.sarabconsulting.com

come see me at the Simpson Health Fair on Thursday from 11-2