Black-eyed pea and chorizo soup
It’s good to be back in New York. See, like so many others (and perhaps even yourself) I was affected by the East Coast blizzard and spent a few unexpected days in Pittsburgh, PA on my way back to the city.
Passing time in an airport is never fun, especially when you’re in a strange town where you don’t know anyone. But I have to say, if you’re going to be stranded somewhere, Pittsburgh is not so bad. The people are friendly, the city is beautiful and the food is hearty. Not to mention the airport has free Wi-Fi so you could stay connected to the world without paying an exorbitant fee.
I’m still not certain what this experience was supposed to teach me, but I think it may have to do with being able to give up control. Sure, I was powerless but screaming and yelling wouldn’t get me home any faster. So I remained calm, as did my fellow passengers.
Once I surrendered to the situation, I decided to make the most of it. I grabbed an airport café table and fashioned it into a desk so I could work on my book. There were two friends on the flight I hadn’t seen in a while so it was a pleasure catching up with them. I also became unusually outgoing and shared stories with my fellow passengers and gave those visiting New York tips on things to do when they’re in the city.
Likewise, there were travelers from parts of Texas I wasn’t familiar with and I learned about a host of new places to try next time I’m home. Some guys started tossing a football while another group started singing carols. If you have to be stranded, I was so thankful to be in a group that was collectively in good spirits. It could have been far worse.
After a few too many overstuffed sandwiches and baskets of cheese fries, however, I had a strong urge to return to my kitchen and cook. So when I finally did land in New York, the first thing I did was fire up my stove and make some soup.
While I was in Houston, my mom had made a white chili recipe she’d been given by our family friend Mary Jo. It was full of chicken, salsa, cheese, and beans and was just the thing you needed on a cold night. Back in my kitchen in New York, I thought about recreating it but I opted to make it with the ingredients that I had on hand. So instead of chicken, I used Mexican chorizo. And since New Year’s Day is approaching I used black-eyed peas instead of pinto beans.
The soup takes little time to come together but is full of flavor and warmth. Mary Jo had told my mom, “Make this soup and your kids will thank you.” And while I may have changed the original recipe a bit, this adaption has made me pretty thankful as well.
So it’s time to say farewell to 2010, which was an interesting year. And yes, like all of you I certainly have high hopes for 2011. There are lots of trips to Texas planned and my book will be published. But whatever happens, after my time in Pittsburgh I’ve decided that if life steers me onto an unexpected road I’ll accept and perhaps even enjoy the strange new journey. Who knows, it could be even better than the one I had in mind.
Happy New Year!
Black-eyed-pea and Mexican chorizo soup
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound Mexican chorizo, removed from casing and crumbled
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 15 oz. canned diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
- 1 or 2 canned chipotle chiles
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 6 cups cooked black-eyed peas in liquid or 3 15-ounce cans of black-eyed peas
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro plus more for garnishing
- 2 cups pepper Jack, shredded (8 ounces)
- 1/2 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Sour cream, for garnishing
- Lime wedges, for garnishing
Instructions
- On medium-low, heat the oil in a skillet and add the chorizo. Cook for 10 minutes or until browned, breaking up any large pieces. With a slotted spatula, remove the cooked chorizo from the skillet and place in a large pot. Leaving the oil in the skillet, add the onions and cook on medium-low heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Transfer the onions and garlic to a blender and add the tomatoes, chipotle chiles, cumin, oregano and allspice. Blend until smooth and pour the blender contents into the pot that holds the chorizo. Add to the pot the black-eyed peas and their liquid, the chicken broth and the cilantro. Bring the pot to a boil and then turn down the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add the shredded cheese and while occasionally stirring, continue to cook until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the crushed tortilla chips and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add the lime juice and then taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt and black pepper.
- Serve with sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges.
ohhh yum, I want this sitting in my kitchen. Looks fantastic!
On the news, I watched how a riot almost broke loose at an airport McDonald's. Apparently the food was getting low or something, and hungry passengers saw fit to riot.
It made me wonder how long I'd need to go sans food before fighting over fast food.
For your black eyed pea and Mexican chorizo soup; however, I'm inclined to guess it would take just about 9.4 seconds of someone holding it out of my reach.
I think chorizo is a smart addition to this soup. I can imagine how good it must taste.
Cheers,
Nisrine
Lisa – thanks so much for a wonderful New Year's meal. Everybody loved it! The only changes I made were to add a poblano (I had one that was dying to jump in) and to not blend the soup – we like our food chunky. I made it New Year's Eve so it could sit and the flavors could develop. People kept on sneaking in for samples. It was so good.
For Deborah from Marietta – I used to live there – the Publix in Roswell has Mexican chorizo.
I emphatically do not believe that everything happens for a reason. But I do believe (and this is very different, but encourages the same result) that human beings may as well try to make the best of whatever.
And so you did! Not easy in the airport!
I made this for New Years Day, and I think it will become one of my yearly staples. On the downside, I did not like the "loose" chorizo I bought to put in it when 'fried' a bit with oil. Good flavor, wicked and wierd consistency when added to soup. Next time, I'll buy links and de-case them. On the plus side, the sour cream blobby absolutely makes the dish. Thanks!