Black-Eyed Pea & Sausage Soup

Nashville weather has been a little wacky lately. We go from hot to fall-like temperatures back to hot in 24 hours. Last week we had a few days of nice, cool weather so over the weekend I decided to get out my slow cooker and make soup. I couldn’t wait any longer. I love using my slow cooker because it’s easy and makes the house smell delicious all day. This Black-Eyed Pea & Sausage Soup hits the spot on those chilly days and the leftovers have been the perfect meal during the few rainy days of this week.

Black-Eyed Pea and Sausage Soup

So, how’s it taste?

This was such a fantastic bowl of comfort food. Normally I get sick of soups pretty quickly, but I looked forward to every bowl of this one. It’s a shorter cooking time than most meals in the slow cooker, but the only ingredient that really has to cook is the barley. I couldn’t find wheat berries, so I used barley and it worked great. You could pretty much use any hearty grain you like. Farro would work well, too. I love the colors in this soup. The carrots really stand out against the peas and the barley, and the flecks of green throughout from the spinach are so pretty. I added more spinach than the recipe called for just to make the soup even more heartier. I think I added about half a bag! This soup is definitely filling.

I know it sounds odd, but trust me on the optional flavor additions before serving. The horseradish and Dijon mustard add an unbelievable boost. You will LOVE it. I added a teaspoon of each to start, but you could add more or less to your liking. I liked it so much, I think I’ll add more to my next serving. This soup would also be great with a big piece of bread dunked into it!

Black-Eyed Pea & Sausage Soup

Betty Crocker Slow Cooker Meals, October 2002
makes 6 servings
per serving: 270 calories, 8g fat, 37g carbs, 24g protein, 11g fiber

Ingredients:

2 cans (15 to 16 oz. each) black-eyed peas, drained, rinsed
14 oz. smoked turkey kielbasa sausage, cut lengthwise in half, then sliced crosswise
4 medium carrots, chopped (2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup uncooked wheat berries or barley
1 cup water
3 cans (14 oz. each) reduced-sodium beef broth
2 cups shredded fresh spinach
1 tsp. dried marjoram leaves
2 tbsp. prepared horseradish, optional
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard, optional

Directions:

1. In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix all ingredients except spinach and marjoram.

2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 5 to 6 hours or until wheat berries are tender.

3. Stir in spinach and marjoram. Cover and cook about 15 minutes or until spinach is tender.

4. To serve, add 1 teaspoon each of horseradish and mustard to individual bowls of soup, if desired.