Dining and Cooking
Chefs’ Collections

Black-Eyed Pea Soup or Stew With Pomegranate and Chard

This is another dish inspired by a recipe in Louisa Shafia’s book “The New Persian Kitchen.” You can use more or less water, depending on whether you want the dish to have the consistency of a soup or a thick stew. It’s hearty, and the most beautiful pink hue.

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch rainbow chard
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
  • ½ pound (1 1/8 cups) black-eyed peas, rinsed
  • ½ cup barley
  • 1 medium beet, peeled and cut in small dice
  • 1 ½ to 2 quarts water (to taste)
  • Salt to taste
  • ¼ cup pomegranate molasses (more to taste)
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1 generous bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 1 cup thick yogurt
  • Seeds of 1 ripe medium-size pomegranate
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

      343 calories; 10 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 56 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 24 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 7 milligrams cholesterol; 879 milligrams sodium

      • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

4 to 6 servings

Preparation

  1. Wash and stem the chard, and if the stems are wide and thick, cut the thickest parts of them into small dice (discard the thin parts). Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot and add the onion and chard stems. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is very tender and lightly colored, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, turmeric and cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the black-eyed peas, barley, beet and water and bring to a gentle boil. Add salt to taste and the molasses. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes to an hour, until the beans and barley are tender. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt.
  2. Stir in the chard and the cilantro. Simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chard is tender but still bright. Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve, garnishing each bowl with a spoonful of yogurt and pomegranate seeds.
  • You can omit the yogurt for a delicious vegan version of this dish.
  • Advance preparation: The beans can be prepared through Step 1 up to 3 days ahead. You will want to thin it out with more water as the barley will absorb liquid as it sits. Bring back to a simmer and proceed with the recipe. The beans can also be frozen.

1 hour 15 minutes

Related Posts

Dining and Cooking