75 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Black Eyed Pea Soup

Ever since I tasted it upon arriving from India and discovering the health benefits, I embraced cooking with olive oil. Over the years, I continued experimenting with what spices work best with it. When my son Virag spent a semester in Spain, he brought back a freshly harvested bottle by his host mother’s family’s olive groves. It forever changed the way I look at the green elixir. As with all food, knowing the source makes all the difference.

Early this year, I was introduced to a local impassioned olive-oil aficionado from Tuscany who spends every fall traveling through parts of Europe to bring back the best-tasting oils. I finally understood how to taste olive oil (swish it in a tiny glass and drink it straight up), the subtleties of single origin and how much high-heat cooking or terroir affect the flavor, whether whisked into a salad dressing or drizzled on stews and pilafs.

Drizzled on this good-luck black-eyed pea soup, a single-origin olive oil with strong notes of fruitiness, bitterness and pungency beautifully complements the sweetness of the cardamom, cinnamon and carrots. Here’s to ending a memorable yet forgettable year and lessons learned. May we all emerge stronger and more enlightened.

Share this recipe

Cook Time

75 Minutes

Serves

6

Directions

Step 1

Soak the black-eyed peas in 3 to 4 cups of water for 3 to 4 hours or preferably overnight. Drain.

Step 2

Combine with 4 to 6 cups of water and salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let the beans simmer covered for 45 minutes to an hour or until the beans are tender.

Step 3

In a separate pan, heat the olive oil and pop the cardamom seeds. Immediately add the onions.

Step 4

Cook the onions on high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, they should be wilted and slightly brown. Then, add the minced garlic, carrots, and potatoes. Cook on high for 5 to 7 minutes, then add the turmeric, cumin, and chile powder. Within a minute or two, add this masala to the beans.

Step 5

Bring the mixture to a boil and add the tomatoes, coconut milk, 3 to 4 cups of water and bring the entire mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the mixture for 20 to 30 minutes. The consistency should be soupy yet chunky.

Step 6

Add the rosemary and cinnamon and taste the soup – add salt if needed. Turn off the heat. Mince the greens and herbs and add to the soup. Drizzle with finishing olive oil just before serving.

Notes & Variations

Here are the two oils I have been cooking with for quite some time — at home and at the restaurant. Entimio Italiano imports award-winning, unique extra-virgin oils from Tuscany that work great as finishing oils for salads and roasted meats. Roots olive oil is a brand brought in by a Greek enthusiast from the Messenia province of Greece that works well as a cooking oil.
Serve the soup on its own or with a side of warm crusty bread or rice.
The soup is best eaten the day it is prepared.

Ingredients

1 cup dried black-eyed peas

2 teaspoons sea salt

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cardamom seeds, slightly crushed

1 cup minced onions

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chile powder

One 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Salt or to taste

1 large bunch of greens such as kale, chard, or watercress

Small handful of herbs

Finishing olive oil

Step 1

Soak the black-eyed peas in 3 to 4 cups of water for 3 to 4 hours or preferably overnight. Drain.

Step 2

Combine with 4 to 6 cups of water and salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let the beans simmer covered for 45 minutes to an hour or until the beans are tender.

Step 3

In a separate pan, heat the olive oil and pop the cardamom seeds. Immediately add the onions.

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Add the rosemary and cinnamon and taste the soup – add salt if needed. Turn off the heat. Mince the greens and herbs and add to the soup. Drizzle with finishing olive oil just before serving.

1 cup dried black-eyed peas

2 teaspoons sea salt

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cardamom seeds, slightly crushed

1 cup minced onions

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chile powder

One 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Salt or to taste

1 large bunch of greens such as kale, chard, or watercress

Small handful of herbs

Finishing olive oil

Notes & Variations

Here are the two oils I have been cooking with for quite some time — at home and at the restaurant. Entimio Italiano imports award-winning, unique extra-virgin oils from Tuscany that work great as finishing oils for salads and roasted meats. Roots olive oil is a brand brought in by a Greek enthusiast from the Messenia province of Greece that works well as a cooking oil.
Serve the soup on its own or with a side of warm crusty bread or rice.
The soup is best eaten the day it is prepared.

Tags:

75 Min

Stock Your Pantry

Aromatic Masala Dabba

$250

A handmade spice box containing chai masala, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, whole green cardamom pods with a few black cardamom pods, garam masala, mace pods and nutmeg.

Essential Masala Dabba

$235

A handmade spice box containing red chile, turmeric, black pepper, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, amchur and garam masala.

Tags:

75 Min

Stock Your Pantry

Aromatic Masala Dabba

$250

A handmade spice box containing chai masala, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, whole green cardamom pods with a few black cardamom pods, garam masala, mace pods and nutmeg.

Essential Masala Dabba

$235

A handmade spice box containing red chile, turmeric, black pepper, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, amchur and garam masala.

OOH, WHAT'S THAT SMELL?

Uncommon in Indian cooking, however versatile rosemary can be an interesting addition to cakes & cookies with its slightly acidic flavor & strong piney & oily fragrance. Check it out in the recipes below!

YOU WON'T REGRET IT

Celery Rosemary Pilaf

Fennel Tart

45 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Autumn Stew

Here is a simple stew in which the sweetness of the yams balances nicely with the smokiness of coriander seeds and bitter fragrance of fenugreek leaves. It can either be enjoyed with rice or bread or on its own as a soup. Either way, it’s a heartwarming way to welcome autumn.

45 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Asparagus Soup

Best made in spring when asparagus and fennel are in season, this soup is creamy with the simple addition of sesame seeds.

90 Min

DF

GF

V

Almond Soup

Many years ago, I enjoyed a delicious chilled almond soup, ajoblanco, native to Spain, at a wonderful restaurant called Feast in Houston. The dish was garnished with a drizzle of good olive oil, sliced grapes and was delicious to the last spoonful. Ajoblanco is often called white gazpacho and predates its more popular tomato version, since tomatoes did not arrive in Spain until the time of Columbus. The classic version is made with slices of white bread pureed with almonds. Preferring my bread warm, grainy, toasted and slathered in butter, I use plain white rice as the thickener here. The quality of rice will not matter, as it will all get pureed in the end. The addition of aromatic cardamom to the base balanced the garlic, and a pop of mustard seeds and kari leaves was the final flourish. If you can find Spanish Marcona almonds, the soup will be even more delicious.

20 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Chilled Heirloom Tomato Soup

When heirloom tomatoes are in full bloom, this chilled raw soup is the delicious epitome of a hot summer. I’ve omitted the onion, switched out garlic for ginger; the soup takes minutes to make. The color of the tomatoes will deeply affect the color of the soup, so pick the reddest ripe tomatoes you can.

35 Min

GF

NF

Broccoli Soup

Here is a soup that elevates the vegetable to an elegant course, perfect when served with a holiday dinner.

60 Min

GF

NF

Buttermilk Soup

This soup is eaten more like a curry with rice. There are umpteen variations: some made with tomato, tamarind, coconut milk or buttermilk. It is usually eaten during summer months for lunch.

90 Min

GF

NF

Butternut Squash Soup

This soup, with a spice infusion and a pop thrown in for good measure, is soul satisfying in the middle of a cold winter!

55 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Carrot Soup

This smooth and creamy soup is supremely simple to make as we drift into the autumn season. If you do not have asafetida, which is a natural spice that mimics the flavor of onions and garlic, slice a few cloves of garlic instead.

45 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Cauliflower Soup

This soup is creamy enough to pass off as a luxurious indulgent soup even though it is entirely plant based. Use roasted carrots instead of butternut or keep it really simple and top it off with pomegranate seeds. Instead of almonds, use cashews or hazelnuts – it’s delicious either way.

95 Min

GF

Hyderabadi Khatti Dal

Khatti simply means sour, in this case with the addition of tamarind or lemon. Khatti dal is a preparation from the Hyderabad region of India and is usually made with toor or masoor lentils. It can be soupy to be eaten with rice, just as a soup or thick and stew like, to be eaten alongside kebabs or roti.

70 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Kale Dal Soup

Steamed in with the dal and all its tangy spices softens the kale to a much more palatable bite and adds even more nutrition to the legumes.

60 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Fennel Soup

Fennel fronds (the skinny stems with tiny leaves on top of the bulbs) can often be toothsome and chewy if eaten raw. In this soup, we cook them down to a soft, deeply flavorful finish and garnish the bowl with finely chopped fronds.

75 Min

GF

NF

Rustic Okra Soup

Roasting okra in the oven at high heat preserves its integrity and flavor without turning it slimy. This yogurt soup is an adaptation of the classic Punjabi kadhi, usually eaten with rice — the chickpea flour is the binder that keeps the yogurt from “breaking,” and turns it viscous and creamy.

90 Min

GF

NF

Spinach Yogurt Soup

A classic idea rooted in Indian techniques, the chickpea flour acts as a binder for the yogurt and also prevents it from ‘breaking’. The pureed spinach adds an herby and fresh flavor to the soup.

45 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Moringa Mango Lentil Soup

This soup uses moringa in the traditional Indian way, stewed in a soup. The mango adds a nice contrast of sweetness to the savory soup.

60 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Skinny Dal Soup

The broth like soup will absorb and enhance any flavor you put into it – so use what you have and enjoy it as a light dinner or with some rice on the side.

45 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Turmeric Soup

This is a healing and nourishing soup that can be enjoyed as a first course, or in accompaniment with khichri.

60 Min

GF

NF

Yellow Beet Soup

My favorite way to cook beets is to combine them with a small amount of lentils, which helps balance the flavors. This soup also works well as a sauce for grilled portobello mushrooms or fish.

120 Min

GF

NF

Chicken Mulligatawny

Legend has it that one time an Englishman asked his South Indian cook to prepare a soup as a starter — and soups being unfamiliar to his Indian cuisine, the ingenious cook created the Mulligatawny (“molo tunny” in Tamil means “pepper water”) by combining rasam, a traditional peppery lentil broth with vegetables.

120 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Garlic Garbanzo Soup

When we are preparing for a possible onslaught on our immune system, a small cup of garlic soup a day may be just what we need.

60 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Golden Beet Soup

Given the cold weather, I decided to make a warming soup with the golden beets and, on a hunch, instead of the perfunctory turmeric, added saffron threads and sesame seeds to the broth, with delicious results.

60 Min

DF

GF

NF

Shrimp Mango Soup

Here is a delicious South Indian inspired shrimp soup with mango, a fruit much more likely to show up in savory foods in India. Enjoy it on its own or with noodles or rice.

60 Min

GF

NF

Tamarind Soup

For most Sindhis, this tamarind fragrant soup, or Sindhi kadhi, as it is called, is synonymous with a lazy Sunday afternoon lunch. Usually eaten with steamed rice and sweet laddus, this was one of my favorite memories of growing up in a traditional Sindhi household.

70 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

7 Vegetable Stew

Every region eats different treats for Diwali from decadent meat curries, kebabs, & pilafs to sweet laddus, mithai and dried fruits. The Sindhis from the province of Sindh typically eat a 7 vegetable stew with pooris (fried balloon bread) and halwa.

DF

GF

NF

V

Buckeye Bean Stew

A bean native to the United States, the yellow buckeye bean is extremely creamy, more like a classic turtle bean than anything else. Thought to be originally from Montana, it’s dense without being too intense in flavor.

60 Min

GF

NF

Diwali Vegetable Stew

Diwali is the time for indulgence and this stew with a rich base of ghee and chickpea flour provides just that.

60 Min

GF

NF

Kerala Stew

The fragrant coconut stews of Kerala are especially transporting and legendary — and we can create the same flavors in Houston with seasonal local vegetables.

95 Min

GF

NF

Malabar Mushroom Stew

This stew is a cross between a vindaloo and a xacuti (pronounced “shakuti”), both of which are fiery meat stews traditionally made with pork.

120 Min

GF

NF

Mushroom & Bean Stew

Try this stew using chestnut mushrooms and serve it with warm toasted sourdough bread. If you do not have garam masala — an aromatic finishing spice blend native to Indian cuisine — add a varying combination of ground cinnamon, cardamom, clove and nutmeg or mace.

DF

GF

NF

V

Mushroom Minestrone

In many versions of this soup, the beans are what create the magic in the minestrone, however, do use this recipe as a guide when making your own. Given the enormous popularity of new mushrooms on the market, try using your choice of mushrooms.

45 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

South Indian Vegetable Stew

Every home in South India has its own version of a vegetable coconut stew. Here is one using the bounty of spring vegetables but feel free to substitute different vegetables to suit the season.

120 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Spring White Bean Asparagus Stew

This stew can be made with so many different root vegetables like potatoes, turnips, yellow beets and instead of asparagus, use fennel, kale, or spinach.

60 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Cleansing Khichri

Plain white rice with mung or masoor, the orange and yellow lentils, is the simplest combination in a khichri and the gentlest on the belly.

180 Min

Fennel Tart

In this savory decadent tart, the addition of mushrooms brings an earthy note. It is best to bake the tart a few hours or the day before serving it.

60 Min

GF

NF

Garlic Masala Ghee

Here, the garlic and shallots slow roast with warm spices like cardamom and black pepper. The best part about this recipe is that the ghee slowly forms on its own as it cooks with the fragrant spices, garlic and shallots.

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Celery Rosemary Pilaf

If you do not have celery leaves, use half a head of celery, thinly sliced.

45 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Autumn Stew

45 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Asparagus Soup

Best made in spring when asparagus and fennel are in season, this soup is creamy with the simple addition of sesame seeds.

90 Min

DF

GF

V

Almond Soup

20 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Chilled Heirloom Tomato Soup

35 Min

GF

NF

Broccoli Soup

Here is a soup that elevates the vegetable to an elegant course, perfect when served with a holiday dinner.

Drinks

Drinks

Hot Drinks

Cold Drinks

Cocktails

Condiments

Condiments

Raita

Chutneys

Pickles

Masala

Grains

Grains

Buckwheat

Khichri

Millet

Noodles

Quinoa

Rice

Whole Grains

Dough

Dough

Roti

Paratha

Naan

Bread

Crackers

Pizza

Batter

Batter

Dosas

Pancakes

Crepes

Savory Baked

Savory Baked

Biscuits

Bread Pudding

Soups

Soups

Light Soup

Creamy Soup

Dal Soup

Stews

Cold Soup

Snacks

Snacks

Chaat

Spreads

Fried Snacks

Nosh

Legumes

Legumes

Dal

Beans

Salads

Salads

Veg Salads

Non-Veg Salads

Land & Sea

Land & Sea

Eggs

Birds

Meat

Fish

Shellfish

Paneer

Paneer

Paneer

Vegetables

Vegetables

Sabzi

Potatoes

Mushrooms

Eggplants

Cauliflower

Squashes

Root Vegetables

Vegetable Curries

Green Vegetables

Okra