Black Eyed Peas and Chard Soup is a nourishing and flavorful soup, rich in micronutrients needed for optimal health.
Black Eyed Peas and Chard Soup is a nourishing and flavorful soup, rich in protein and micronutrients needed for optimal health. It’s an excellent soup for people with blood sugar issues and here is why.
Health Benefits of Chard
This green leafy vegetable is an excellent source of vitamin K, C, E, beta-carotenes – the antioxidants and vitamin A precursors – as well as lutein and zeaxanthin which protect our eyes from aging. In Turkey this vegetable is used as a folk remedy to lower blood sugar. Recent research was conducted to determine the effect of chard on blood sugar. Not only did it confirm that chard helps lower blood sugar levels, but also that it plays a role in the regeneration of the cells that secrete insulin.
Health Benefits of Black eyed peas
Like other beans and legumes, black eyed peas are loaded with fiber. Fibers are the type of carbohydrates that humans can’t digest, and therefore, we don’t absorb it. Fiber is important to us because:
- It feeds friendly bacteria that reside in our intestines and help them thrive.
- Bacteria returns the favor by metabolizing fiber into fatty acids that feed the cells that line our intestine.
- It helps eliminate toxins by binding to them and creating bulk that moves things out of our digestive tract.
- Fiber also binds to and eliminates bile salts that are made out of cholesterol. And that lowers LDL cholesterol levels – the key cholesterol type that many doctors are concerned about.
Black Eyed Peas and Chard Soup
Ingredients:
1 cup black eyed peas
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 big onion or 2 leeks, chopped
1 carrots, chopped
3 potatoes, cubed
1 big bunch chard
1 ½ quart beef broth
2-3 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
Directions:
- Rinse and soak black eyed peas over night before cooking. Drain the soaking water, rinse again, cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 45 minutes. The beans are done when they are tender.
- Meanwhile, warm up olive oil in a pot over medium heat, add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Chop up the potatoes and carrots and add them to the pot. Keep sautéing for another 5 minutes stirring periodically.
- Add beef broth to the pot, bring to a boil and turn the heat to low. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Fold the chard leaves in half lengthwise. You might choose to cut the stems out and slice them thinly separately. Place all the leaves folded in half on top of each other, roll them up length wise and slice.
- When the black eyed peas are almost ready drain and add them to the soup. Add salt and pepper and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chard and garlic to the soup. Incorporate and cook for just 2 minutes. Remove from the burner and serve.