Soup of the Day... Hopping John Soup

Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: Some folks don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they may live in another country where the standards are not the same, they may use heirloom methods passed down through the generations, they may choose other canning methods not recommended. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take NO responsibility for them.

Hopping John Soup 

(Black-eyed Pea, Ham, and Collard Green Soup)

Adapted from recipe found on kalynskitchen

Makes 4 to 5 quarts

1 onion, chopped 

1 cup celery, chopped 

1 tsp. minced garlic 

2-3 cups diced ham 

8 cups homemade chicken stock (or use water with chicken soup base or canned chicken broth) 

2 - 16 oz. packages frozen black-eyed peas (or use 6 cups freshly cooked black-eyed peas or 4 cans black-eyed peas) 

1/2 tsp. dried thyme 

1 bunch fresh collard greens, chopped (about 2 cups when measured after chopping, but next time I would use more) 

Optional: ham flavor base if needed

To Serve - while soup is heating up add pinch red pepper flakes (optional) and 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar, or more to taste

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a large pot and heat - about 30 mins, stir to mix ingredients.

Use a slotted spoon to divide mixture between heated quart jars - fill to between 1/2 and 3/4 full of solids and then add broth from pot to each jar to 1 inch headspace (if there is not enough liquid left from pot finish filling with hot water), remove air bubbles, put on lids, and process in a pressure canner for 90 mins for quarts (75 mins for pints) at 10 pounds of pressure.

TO SERVE: Empty quart jar of soup into a pan use an immersion blender, food processor, or hand masher to partially process (smash) about half the soup. You want a mixture of broken and unbroken black-eyes peas, with some thickening of the soup from the pureeing process. Be careful not to over process. Add red pepper flakes and vinegar and simmer 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Tomorrow's Soup of the Day... Italian Chicken Soup