| Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here. Remember Hi, all. Thanksgiving is next Thursday, and I imagine Eat Voraciously readers in the United States are preparing to travel or host or shop or cook or clean or volunteer or make themselves a delicious meal or call family or friends on the phone or create a playlist or mix drinks or take the kids to the park or wear matching pajamas or make wishlists or calm temper tantrums or eat lots of leftovers. It can be a fun but stressful time. Today, take a deep breath. Then make this Sweet Potato, Collard and Black-Eyed Pea Soup. If you’re still with me, I have just one more thing to share. It’s this poem by three-term poet laureate Joy Harjo: “Remember” Remember the sky that you were born under,
know each of the star’s stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun’s birth at dawn, that is the
strongest point of time. Remember sundown
and the giving away to night.
Remember your birth, how your mother struggled
to give you form and breath. You are evidence of
her life, and her mother’s, and hers.
Remember your father. He is your life, also.
Remember the earth whose skin you are:
red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth
brown earth, we are earth.
Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their
tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,
listen to them. They are alive poems.
Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the
origin of this universe.
Remember you are all people and all people
are you.
Remember you are this universe and this
universe is you.
Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.
Remember language comes from this.
Remember the dance language is, that life is.
Remember.  | Today’s recipe |  Photos by Rey Lopez; food styling by Carolyn Robb, both for The Washington Post | Sweet Potato, Collard and Black-Eyed Pea SoupFind substitution suggestions and other tips below the recipe. Storage: The sweet potato broth and the finished soup can each be refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Servings: 8 to 12 (makes 10 to 12 cups)
Active time: 40 mins
Total time: 1 hour 40 mins IngredientsFor the sweet potato broth - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces), thinly sliced
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 1 large sweet potato (1 pound), peeled and cut into large chunks
- 6 cups water
- 5 whole cloves (may substitute 2 or 3 whole star anise)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, or more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed
For the soup - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion (12 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 rib celery, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 large carrot, cut into 1/4-inch coins
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Leaves from 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more as needed
- One (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with their juices
- 2 bunches collard greens, stemmed and torn into bite-size pieces (about 8 cups; may substitute kale or mustard greens)
- Two (15.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, or more as needed
Steps1. Make the sweet potato broth: In a large stockpot over medium-low heat, add the oil, then stir the onion, celery and carrot to coat. Cover and cook until the onion has softened, about 8 minutes. Add the sweet potato, water, cloves, salt and black pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low, so the liquid is gently simmering, and cook, uncovered, until the sweet potato is very soft, about 30 minutes. Discard the cloves. 2. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. (Alternatively, transfer in batches to a blender or food processor, removing the center knob of the blender lid so steam can escape and holding a towel over the opening, and puree until smooth.) Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Rinse and wipe out the stockpot. 3. Make the soup: Return the stockpot to medium heat and heat the oil until it shimmers. Stir in the onion, celery and carrot until coated and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables just begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, fresh and dried thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes, then pour in 4 cups of the sweet potato broth, along with the tomatoes and their juices. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Stir in the collard greens, reduce the heat to medium-low so the liquid is gently simmering, cover and cook until the greens are tender, 40 to 45 minutes. 4. Add the black-eyed peas, cover and cook until the flavors meld, 10 to 15 minutes. If the soup seems too thick, add up to another 1 cup of sweet potato broth or water to reach the desired consistency. Season with the salt, taste, and adjust with more salt and/or crushed red pepper flakes as needed. Serve hot. Adapted from “Soul Food Love” by Alice Randall and Caroline Randall Williams (Clarkson Potter, 2015). Tested by Joe Yonan. Nutrition information per serving (about 1 cup), based on 12: Calories: 90; Total Fat: 3 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Carbohydrates: 15 g; Sodium: 170 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Protein: 5 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 3 g.
Substitution suggestions + other tips and ideas: - Sweet potato >> butternut squash.
- Collard greens >> kale or mustard greens.
- Black-eyed peas >> other cooked beans or chickpeas.
- Yellow onion >> white onion or sweet onion.
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