South Yo' Mouth Black-eyed Pea and Pork Stew

Hi everyone!  Happy Friday!  Let's kick the weekend off with a homey, flavorful soup inspired by the flavors of the South 😋!

While it's great to be able to cook pork in the slow cooker and lentil soup in the Instant Pot, nothing quite beats a hearty soup or stew that's been simmered for hours on the stove.  There's something about the flavor of a stove-top soup or stew that simply cannot be matched by one not cooked on the stove.

Enter this black-eyed pea and pork stew.  After cooking on the stove for a few hours, some legumes, meat, veggies, and spices are turned into a spicy, savory, bean-rich soup filled with mouthwateringly tender chunks of umami-rich pork.  Just writing about it makes me want to eat it again 😋.

At this point, you might be wondering exactly what black-eyed peas are.  The truth is, I didn't know exactly what they were either until writing this post.  Before I tell you, though, I should note that you shouldn't let the word "pea" in the name keep you from making this stew.  Even though I personally love split-pea soup, I can assure that even if you don't, you will like this stew.  Time to get back on track here. As stated in this article, black-eyed peas aren't actually peas 😲!  It turns out that these little gems are beans.  

In spite of the fact that black-eyed peas are not actual vegetables, they do offer some pretty great nutritional benefits, according to this article.  For one thing, they are rich in folate, which is critical for having adequates amount of red blood cells. Black-eyed peas also are full of manganese, which, like folate, is good for your cells as it helps protect them.  The last notable health benefit of black-eyed peas is their vitamin A content.  This vitamin is crucial for vision and the immune system.  I hope I'm not the only person who is fascinated by learning about the health benefits of foods.  It's really neat how God has made natural food to taste so good and at the same time be so healthy.

And while this stew is delicious all on its own, it's great topped with a dollop of sour cream or whole Greek yogurt and served with some crusty whole grain bread that's been slathered with butter 😋.

Today's recipe was inspired by this recipe.  My big brother made this and I'm not sure exactly what he did, but I think that the recipe that I'm sharing with you today is the idea 😊.

That's all for now.  Don't forget to follow me on Instagram!  I look forward to posting again on Monday 😊.  (Hopefully the new smoothie of the month recipe 😋!)

South Yo' Mouth Black-eyed Pea and Pork Stew

• 2 lbs. dried black-eyed peas, pre-soaked
• 6 T. canola oil, divided
• 10 oz. pork shoulder, diced into 1/2 in. chunks
• 6 strips thick sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-in. pieces
• 2-14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, small diced
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 10 cups water
• 2 medium bell peppers, diced
• 1 jalepeño pepper, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a large pot over medium heat, add 2 T. oil and the bacon and sauté until the bacon is cooked, then set the meat aside.

2.  Add 2 T. more of oil to the pot and sauté the onion, garlic, and both kinds of peppers, until softened, then set the veggies aside.

3.  To the pot, add the rest of the oil and brown the meat.

4.  To the pot with the meat, add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 2 hours or until everything is cooked, stirring as needed.

5.  Enjoy, storing leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.