Black Beans and Collard Greens Soup
Ingredients:
1 bunch collard greens**
4 cans black beans, or equivalent amount pre-soaked dried beans
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon allspice
Cayenne pepper to taste
6 cups water
**You can substitute any leafy greens for the collards. Kale is also in season this time of year and tough enough to withstand the cooking in this recipe, but collards are a bit milder flavored.
Apparatus:
Knife
LARGE pot with cover
Wooden spoon
Mashing implement
Process:
1)Wash your collard greens extremely well! (Public health note-leafy greens, while being excellent sources of vitamins, are usually covered in dirt. So wash them!)
2)Remove and discard the large center stalk from the greens. Cut the remaining leaves into bite-sized pieces and place into pot.
3)Add beans, garlic, onion, spices, and water to pot. Cover and let simmer for about an hour and a half.
4)Mash beans using mashing implement of choice while still in pot. Stir, and if soup is too thin, continue to cook until soup thickens to desired consistency.
5)Serve and enjoy!
*Notes: This recipe makes quite a large batch, but can easily be halved if you are not a fan of leftovers. I’ve become very fond of cooking only 2 or 3 times a week and eating that food for days at a time as a matter of efficiency. This recipe would also probably work well in a slow cooker.
For anyone who did not grow up in Georgia, and therefore might not know what a collard green looks like off hand, the above is a picture of collard greens.
