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