Slow Cooker Ham and Blackeye Pea Soup

This post is sponsored by Bush’s Beans.

You know what I love about having a pantry full of beans? You can literally throw together any type of soup on a whim. And a healthy soup at that. (Do I sound like a broken record when it comes to healthy soups? I know I do… 😉 )

After a week full of holiday indulgences I am ready to clean up the eating and get something good for me in my belly. Soup is always an easy go-to when feeling that way so with the New Year right around the corner I decided to kill two birds with one stone and make a soup recipe with blackeye peas – for good health and for good luck. You can’t beat that! (Are you a believer that eating blackeye peas on New Year’s brings good luck – I only learned of it a few years ago, maybe it’s a Southern thing?)

This Slow Cooker Ham and Blackeye Pea Soup comes together so easily with a few staples and in your slow cooker. It’s perfect for New Year’s Day but also for any day during winter when you need something warm to come home to at dinnertime. If you’ve got leftover holiday ham, it would be great for this but if you don’t you can always pick up some ham at your deli (if you do this have them slice it a little extra thick and dice it up when you get home).

Hope everyone has a happy and healthy New Year!! See you in 2014!

Print Recipe

Slow Cooker Ham and Blackeye Pea Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 (15.8 ounce) cans [BUSH’S® Blackeye Peas|http://www.bushbeans.com/en_US/products/details.jsp?upc=3940001368], drained
• 2 cups cooked ham, diced
• 3 cups water
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/2 cups frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup cooked white or brown rice (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker except spinach, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and rice.
2. Cover and cook 4-5 hours on low.
3. Stir in spinach, red pepper flakes and lemon juice. Cook an additional 15 minutes.
4. Stir in cooked rice before serving, if desired.

Instead of spinach, I used 2 cups freshly chopped kale and added it into soup 30 minutes before serving.

Follow Aggie’s Kitchen’s board Slow Cooker Goodness on Pinterest.

Disclosure: I’ve been working with Bush’s Beans for over 3 years now and have loved using their beans in my recipes. I was a lover of Bush’s Beans before we started working together and although I do receive product and compensation from them, my opinions are my own.