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Black-Eyed Pea Soup

The creamy texture of black-eyed peas works particularly well in warming spicy soups.

This soup's filling enough to make a hearty main course and is easy to prepare. A sprinkling of low-fat grated cheese melting into the soup is the finishing touch. Serve with toasted tortillas on the side, cut into wedges, if you wish.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

You Will Need
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 large fresh green chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 green peppers, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (14 ounces) chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon sun-dried tomato paste
3 cups low-fat chicken or vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
2 cans (15 ounces) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper

To Serve
6 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup reduced-fat coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese
Sprigs of fresh cilantro (optional)
Thinly sliced fresh green chile (optional)

What to Do
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the chile and green peppers, and cook gently until almost soft, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the ground cumin and cook for a few seconds.

2. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, the tomato paste, 2 cups of the broth, the bay leaf, and 1 can of peas. Bring to a boil slowly, then turn down the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

3. Puree the soup, either in batches in a blender or food processor, or by using a hand-held blender directly in the pan. Stir in the remaining peas, plus the corn, and chopped cilantro. Add the remaining broth. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then heat through gently until hot.

4. Meanwhile, heat the tortillas in the oven or microwave, according to the package instructions.

5. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with the cheese. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and green chile, if desired. Serve with the tortillas.

Some More Ideas
Reduced-fat cheddar cheese can be substituted for the Monterey Jack.

Canned pinto or black beans can be substituted for the black-eyed peas.

Plus Points

The black-eyed pea is a legume related to the bean family. Using canned beans rather than dried beans has little effect on the nutritional value of a dish, and it certainly saves time.

Bean-based soups are extremely high in fiber and make a great vegetarian alternative. This soup is perfect to serve for a mixed crowd at a casual dinner party.

For people with diabetes, it is beneficial to have several meat-free meals a week to limit cholesterol and saturated-fat intake. Soy-based products and beans make delicious low-fat protein sources.

Exchanges: starch 3 1/2, vegetable 1, meat (very lean) 1, fat 1

Serves 6

Nutritional Information
Each serving provides calories 370, calories from fat 59, fat 7g, saturated fat 2g, cholesterol 7mg,sodium 803mg, carbohydrate 61g, fiber 12g, sugars 8g, protein 19g.

Excellent source of folate, iron, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, vitamin C. Good source of calcium, riboflavin, vitamin A, vitamin B6.

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