Black Eyed Pea and Kale Stew
Instant black eyed peas, smoked paprika, and freeze-dried kale. A southern soup that packs down to one bag.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 5 oz
- cal / oz
- 124
- protein
- 28 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 12 min
- total time
- 14 min
- water
- 600 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Backpacking
- Basecamp
- Winter / snow
- Car camping
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Dehydrate ahead
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Instant black eyed peas | 3/4 cup | dehydrated cooked peas, not dried raw ones |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze-dried kale | 1/2 cup | packed loose |
| Dried onion, celery, and carrot | 1/4 cup total | |
| Tomato powder | 2 tbsp | stands in for the fire roasted can |
| Chicken bouillon | 1 cube or 1 tsp | |
| Freeze-dried or shelf-stable diced ham | 1.5 oz | summer sausage works too |
| Smoked paprika | 1 tsp | |
| Dried thyme | 1/2 tsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1/2 tsp | |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | |
| Salt and black pepper | to taste |
Method
- Boil 600 ml of water. Dump in everything except the oil and stir once.
- Bring it back to a simmer for two minutes, then kill the stove and cover the pot.
- Wait ten minutes. The peas and vegetables are rehydrating, and this is where the whole thing happens.
- Stir. If it is still soupy, sit it another five minutes. If it is too thick, add hot water.
- Pour the oil over the top, salt to taste, and eat.
A dried black eyed pea takes an hour of hard boiling, which is fuel nobody carries. This version uses precooked dehydrated peas instead, so the stove only has to bring water up once and the pot does the rest of the work off the flame. Ten minutes covered is the whole method.
The rest is substitution. Canned fire roasted tomatoes become tomato powder, fresh mirepoix becomes dried onion, celery, and carrot, and collards or fresh kale become the freeze-dried kind, which rehydrates in about a minute and does not turn to sludge. Smoked paprika carries the flavor the ham bone used to. Keep the oil for the end, off heat, or you lose it to the boil.
Packing
Everything dry goes in one quart freezer bag at home. Ham and oil ride separately. A cozy or a wrapped fleece around the pot during the soak keeps the water hot enough to finish the peas.
Variations
- Drop the ham and swap in vegetable bouillon for a vegan version. Double the smoked paprika, since the smoke was coming from the meat.
- A handful of instant rice added with the boiling water turns it into Hoppin' John and another 200 calories.
- Cornmeal stirred in at the end thickens it and doubles as the cornbread.
https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/instant-pot-black-eyed-pea-soup-for-the-new-year