The anticipation and dread of deep cold weather is over. It is here with its sharp-slap windy 20 degree days and nights. It will not last long. It will leave us and then return again and again until it has worn us down. We will have a love-hate thing with it. Our geographic location will save us from a lengthy bout of deep winter, but for now it is here.
Soup, hot steamy bowls of soup. Daily doses are called for to chase off the chill of the season as well as the chill of our political climate. This soup is good for warding off all kinds of chill in these chilly times. Ethiopian Berbere seasoning adds just the right amount of piquant. You can easily find Berbere in most supermarkets or online these days, but if not then I have added a how-to for making your own in my printable recipe. I wasn’t very familiar with this spice until this past year. I worked on a number of cook books in which some of the recipes called for it. It is now one of my go-to spice blends for many dishes.
To quicken the cooking I used pre-soaked Black-eyed Peas.
A generous portion of Berbere seasoning was added.
Smoked Chicken-Spinach Sausages well-charred before slicing and adding to the soup.
Serve with your favorite cornbread recipe. Stay warm, stay cozy, eat more soup.
Berbere Seasoned Black-eyed Peas, Greens and Chicken Sausage Soup
Ingredients:
- 24 ounces pre-soaked black-eyed peas or dried peas soaked for a few hours before cooking
- 32 ounces chicken broth – I used chicken bone broth, but any will do
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 cans fire-roasted tomatoes or any canned tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Berbere seasoning
- 12 ounces smoked chicken sausages
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
- water to add to soup if need be
Directions:
- Char sausages until well browned in a somewhat dry skillet. Slice into bite size pieces. Set aside.
- Add chicken stock and black-eyed peas to a soup pot. Bring to boil, turn to simmer. Cook for 30 minutes or until peas are slightly softened.
- Stir in crushed garlic, tomatoes, Berbere seasoning and chicken sausage. Continue to cook on simmer for another 20 minutes. Add more water or broth if soup needs it.
- Add in spinach leaves and cook just until wilted. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Serve hot with your favorite cornbread recipe.
Recipe for making your own Berbere Seasoning (there are many variations of this online but this is a basic one). Combine all the ingredients in a jar. Shake to blend. Store in jar with tight-fitting lid.
- 1/3 cup paprika
- 1/4 cup dried red pepper (cayenne, ancho, New Mexican, etc)
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tablespoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon fenugreek powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Teresa Blackburn. www.teresablackburnfoodstyling.com
How do you make a bowl of soup look so fab Teresa? I just photographed our soup dinner and it sure didn’t look like this! LOL. Oh well. You have the expert eye and touch! Lovely soup too.
Dr. Johanne Lamarche 630 Spruce Lane Berwyn, PA 19312-1457 610-220-2086
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Johanne everything you do looks good. I have so enjoyed seeing your encaustics. You are multi talented person indeed. Stay warm and cozy this January. T
That looks so good. Great pictures.
Muchas Gracias my friend.
Looks very yummy 😋
Thanks so much. I appreciate you stopping by to leave a comment. Stay cozy this January.
Looks like a nice hardy meal! 💕
Yes Bernice very hearty and healthy with the chicken sausages and greens. I hope you are well and staying cozy this January. Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks! It is a cold January! Trying to stay warm with fun food!! 💕
This soup/stew is fabulous! I’ve only used berbere in Ethiopian food, so I’m intrigued! And I happen to have some that I received in powdered form as a sample, so I can’t wait. Love those sausages!
Thanks Chef Mimi, this is one of my new favorite soups. It’s fun to try out spices in new ways. I used the Berbere in a chili I made recently and it was just so good. I’m on a kick it seems.
This does sound like the perfect cure for cold, windy weather. We have even had colder than normal weather in our part of Florida so a bowl of your soup would be nice.
Thanks so much Karen….I wish I was in Florida even if it is a bit colder? Soup is good any time of year but especially when it’s cold isn’t it? I hope you are well. T
Of course a soup like this, especially from dried beans is just up my alley and you know I love a good spice blend recipe! 🙂 The soup looks fab but you’ve actually made sausage look darling! I feel like I could just snitch one out of the pan!
Wow does that look amazing
Thanks Kara for stopping by my blog. I’ll check yours out as well. Best and hope to see you here again soon. T