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This Creamy Black-Eyed Peas Soup is bursting with flavor from bacon, garlic and thyme - makes you forget you’re eating black-eyed peas.

Inspired by The Good Earth

Prep Time:  15 minutes     Cook Time:  approximately 30 minutes     Servings:  8

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 4 cans of black-eyed peas (15.8 ounce), drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 8-ounce carton of sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups cooked white rice
• Soy sauce for garnish
• Lemon wedges for garnish
• Thyme sprigs for garnish

Ingredients for Creamy Black-Eyed Peas Soup

Instructions

**  Have all your ingredients measured out in small bowls before beginning.  There are only a few minutes between each step.

1. In a large saucepan over  medium heat, add olive oil and heat until lightly smoking.  Add bacon and cook for 3 minutes.  Add chopped onion and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute.  Add minced garlic and saute until onions are translucent.
2. Add tomato paste and mix well.  Add chopped thyme and saute for 2 minutes.
3.  Add black-eyed peas and saute for 2 minutes.  Add dry white wine and reduce until all liquid has evaporated, approximated 2 minutes.
4.  Add vegetable broth and bay leaf.  Turn up heat and bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Remove bay leaf.
6. Stir in sour cream.  Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 more minutes.
7. Serve in bowls with a plate of white rice garnished with drops of soy sauce, lemon wedges and thyme sprigs on the side.