Pea Soup East African Style Food

EAST AFRICAN PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Sauté the onions gently in oil in a covered pot, stirring frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onions are just translucent.
• Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.
• Mix in the ginger, salt and all the spices and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the tomatoes and sweet potato.
• Stir well.
• Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir.
• Bring the soup to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 5 minutes.
• Add half of the peas and simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes, or until the peas and sweet potato are tender.
• Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 cups of water.
• Purée the soup in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth.
• Return soup to the pot, add the remaining peas and gently reheat.

AFRICAN SPLIT PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse peas, put in soup pot with 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.
• Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic in oil until translucent. Mix in spices and saute for 5 - 10 minutes more, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Set aside.
• When the split peas are cooked, stir in the onion mixture along with the vegetable stock.
• Add the lemon juice and cooked rice, season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the parsley and gently reheat if necessary.

BLACK-EYED PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Sort through the peas and pick out any pebbles or other debris. Rinse the peas under cold water. Put the peas in a 5-quart Dutch oven and cover with 5 cups cold water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, cover and let peas soak for 1 hour.
• Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. When cool, crumble the bacon and set aside. Add the oil to the skillet with the bacon fat Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the collard greens and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the vegetables to the Dutch oven along with the chicken broth, ham hock, crumbled bacon, rice and 4 cups water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until the peas and rice are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Remove the ham hock from the Dutch oven. Discard the skin and bone. Chop the meat into small pieces and return it to the Dutch oven. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

PEA SOUP EAST AFRICAN STYLE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan heat oil and saute onions and garlic until onions are translucent. Add ginger, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, curry powder and saute for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, squash, chicken or vegetable stock and deglaze pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Add 2 cups of the peas and simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes or until peas and squash are tender. Using an immersion blender puree soup in pot. Add remaining peas and reheat. Stir in cilantro. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

LIBERIAN BLACK-EYED PEA SOUP

Steps:

• In a covered saucepan, bring the black-eyed peas, garlic cloves, and 4 cups of the water to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a nonreactive soup pot, sauté the onions and celery in the 2 tablespoons water on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
• Stir in the cayenne, allspice, and thyme and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add the bell peppers, stir well, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Stir in the corn, okra, tomatoes, and the remaining 2 cups of water.
• Cover and bring just to a boil; then add the greens, gently simmer until tender, and remove from the heat until the black- eyed peas are ready.
• When the black-eyed peas are tender, remove the garlic cloves or mash them with a fork against the side of the pan.
• Add the black-eyed peas and their cooking liquid to the soup pot.
• Stir in the cilantro, if using, and add salt and black pepper to taste.