This hearty, spicy main-course soup from chef Vishwesh Bhatt puts a distinctly Southern spin on Italian minestra. The kick comes from the mustard greens and a generous dose of red pepper flakes, but you can substitute Swiss chard or kale for the former and cut back on the latter if you’d like. Bhatt prefers the smallest field-pea variety he can find, such as lady peas or crowder peas, but black-eyed peas are easier to find and work well. Serve with crusty bread.
Total time: 1 hour, plus overnight soaking time
Make Ahead: The peas need to be soaked overnight, rinsed and drained.
Storage Notes: Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 6 months.
Servings: 4 - 6 When you scale a recipe, keep in mind that cooking times and temperatures, pan sizes and seasonings may be affected, so adjust accordingly. Also, amounts listed in the directions will not reflect the changes made to ingredient amounts.
When you scale a recipe, keep in mind that cooking times and temperatures, pan sizes and seasonings may be affected, so adjust accordingly. Also, amounts listed in the directions will not reflect the changes made to ingredient amounts.
Tested size: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow or white onion (6 ounces), thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots (10 ounces total), scrubbed and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces dried field peas, such as lady peas, crowder peas or black-eyed peas, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
- 6 cups Scrappy Vegetable Broth (see related recipe) or store-bought no-salt-added vegetable broth
- 1 small bunch mustard greens (4 ounces), stemmed and chopped
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
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Directions
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 6 minutes. Add the carrots, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to turn golden, 8 to 9 minutes.
Add the soaked peas and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the liquid is at a simmer, cover and cook until the peas are just beginning to soften, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the greens, vinegar, rosemary, salt and red pepper flakes, re-cover, and cook until the peas and greens are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
Taste, and season with more vinegar, salt and/or red pepper flakes as needed. Divide among serving bowls and serve hot.
Recipe Source
Adapted from “I Am From Here” by Vishwesh Bhatt (W.W. Norton, 2022).
Tested by Joe Yonan.
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