Autumn Beans & Greens Soup Recipe

A savory, healthy and hearty soup made with black-eyed peas and greens. It is an easy one-pot meal that is 100% vegan, low-fat and delish!

Last week, after posting about taking the cozy challenge before the holiday season starts, quite a few readers asked me what soup was in the photos. They wanted the recipe.

A few of you even asked if I was still eating plant-based. Yes I am, I just haven’t gotten around to posting recipes lately.

Since I started eating a plant based, vegan diet a few years ago, I have tried many new-to-me foods, recipes, and seasonings in search of flavor and ease in preparation.

There has been lots of recipe testing, some failures, others just OK and a few winning healthy recipes that have become a part of my meal rotation.

When making food from scratch, having the right tools that make the process easier has really made a difference in keeping me on track.

Batch Cooking

The other part to make meal prep easier is batch cooking. I batch almost everything I make and then store what I will need for a week and freezing the rest for the future.

Freezing is the best part of batch cooking, as a future meal can be ready just by taking something out of the freezer and heating it up.

When I make soups, broths, sauces and stews, I place my current week’s portion in a Mason jar and refrigerate it. Then the rest gets poured into a 1 cup size Souper Cubes.

Once the portions of soup are frozen, I push each block out and place in a Ziplock freezer bag and label it so I will know exactly what it is after a few months.

Souper Cubes

Freeze food in perfect portions – Great for bone broth servings, recipes, meal prep, and portion-controlled meals.
Each well has four fill lines: ½ cup, 1 cup, 125 mL, 250 mL.
Clear tight fitting lid maintains freshness and keeps out odors.
Rim is sturdy steel reinforced construction – Stackable for larger quantities – each tray holds 4 cups
100% FDA Food Grade Silicone: BPA Free – Dishwasher Safe – Oven Safe (not the lid)
Dual Use: I have only used to freeze, but you can use them for baking also. Trays are oven safe up to 415 degrees F.

Autumn Beans & Greens Soup Recipe

When making soups, another tool I use often is an immersion blender.

an immersion blender in a soup pot that is cooking on a stove

If you are not familiar with one, it is wand-style blender that blends soup right in the pot, no need to transfer to a big counter style blender. It is one very handy gadget.

I like to save some of the soup in its chunky state.

And then place the immersion blender in the pot to make the soup smooth.

Batch Soup Making Tools I Love

Souper Cubes

Immersion Blender

Mason Jars

Autumn Beans & Greens Soup Recipe

A savory and hearty soup made with black-eyed peas and collards is an easy one-pot meal that is 100% vegan and low-fat. Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course: entree, Lunch, Soup, stewCuisine: Southern, Vegan
Servings: 6
Calories: 54kcal

Ingredients

3 – 14 oz cans black-eyed peas – or 1 lb dry black-eyed peas soaked, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup water – or 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion – diced
2 large carrots – diced
2 celery ribs – sliced
3 garlic cloves – minced
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes – optional
1 – 28 oz can diced tomatoes – do not drain juice
2-3 cups collard greens – chopped
6 cups vegetable broth – low-sodium
1/2 tsp salt and pepper – or more to taste

Instructions

In a large dutch oven, heat water or oil (if using) over medium-high heat, add onions, carrots, and celery. Saute for 7-10 minutes.
Add garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, basil, oregano, and garlic and onion powder. Cook until fragrant about 1 – 2 minutes.
Add the black-eyed peas, tomatoes, and vegetable broth, bring to a boil and cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes if using canned black-eyed peas or 1-1/4 hours if using soaked beans or until the beans are tender.
About 5 – 10 minutes before soup is done, stir in chopped collard greens. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve. Optional – add a squeeze of lemon over top of each serving bowl.
Tastes even better when served with vegan cornbread.
STORE: Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. For longer storage freeze in portions for 2 – 3 months. Thaw before reheating.

Notes

How to soak black-eyed peas: Place beans in a pot. Cover with water with 1 – 2 inches of water above them. Let soak for 8 hours, drain water. For a quicker soak: Heat beans in the pot until they boil, remove from heat and let soak for about 1 hour, drain water.