INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups dried black eyed peas
- 1 smoked ham shank
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 carrots, sliced
- 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 15 oz. diced tomatoes with garlic, un-drained
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1 fresh thyme sprig or 2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. Old Bay or Cajun seasoning
- 32 oz. reduced sodium chicken broth, plus additional water to fill slow cooker
- 2 cups kale, roughly chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Soak, drain, sort and rinse black eyed peas according to the packaged instructions. I used the quick soak method where you boil for 2 minutes, let sit for an hour, then, drain, rinse and use.
2. In a 5 quart slow cooker, add all the ingredients, except the kale. Add additional water to bring the soup to 1 inch from the top of the pan. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
3. Remove the ham shank, bay leaf and thyme sprig. Add the kale and any diced ham from the shank if using to the slow cooker. Cook for another 10 minutes until kale softens. Enjoy!
Makes 8 heaping 1 1/4 cup servings
