Comfort on a plate, you know that's right! The bowls are to catch all those tasty juices.
I am not a recipe developer, just a home cook trying new recipes and tweaking old favorites. I will always credit sources and note where I’ve made changes. Photos are my own; you can tell I’m a work in progress. Showing you the steps along the way is what sets us apart from the bazillion +1 other food blogs. That and the bitchin’ playlist that comes with each post. Let’s get to it.
Soul food is comfort food, rich and satisfying with multi-layered flavors made in a kitchen that smells like heaven itself. If you’re in a rush, the food won’t taste right. So get comfortable, put on some music, and grab a fresh apron. You’re going to be here for a while.
Beans and greens are typically served as sides with a big family meal, alongside fried chicken or ham, mac and cheese, biscuits, and sweet potato pie that Auntie brings for dessert. I could happily make a meal from the collard greens and black-eyed peas (kissed with bacon and spices) alone.
Leftovers. Almost better than Day 1.
If you grew up eating soul food, you surely do not need my recipes. Family tradition has already dictated how you will prepare your meal. But if you’re coming at it like I did – with love for the flavors but no heritage of Southern cooking – these recipes will serve you well.
The collard greens recipe (flavored with big chunks of smoked turkey meat) comes from Divas Can Cook, and the black-eyed peas are from the Neelys, a Food Network cooking couple renowned for their barbecue and soul food sensations. My thanks to all, these are great recipes.
Black-eyed peas ingredients
For the beans: You can use different beans (ex. pinto or Navy beans) but I enjoy the distinct earthiness of black-eyed peas.
Soak the dried peas/beans overnight, rinsing and refreshing the soaking water a few times, then proceed with the recipe, it’s pretty straightforward, although I opted to omit the pork shoulder. The beans are plenty flavorful with just thick-cut bacon.
Soak the dried peas/beans overnight, rinsing and refreshing the soaking water a few times, then proceed with the recipe, it’s pretty straightforward, although I opted to omit the pork shoulder. The beans are plenty flavorful with just thick-cut bacon.
Black-eyed peas - nice and saucy, not soupy
The original recipe makes an important point about mashing some peas against the side of the pan after they’re nice and soft, then stirring them back into the mix.
I love the resulting texture – creamy but still chock full of firm but tender whole peas. Oh yum!
Find the recipe here.
For the greens: My advice is to buy fresh collard greens and trim the leaves yourself, removing the tough stems, rather than buying packages of pre-cut greens which include the stems. The recipe calls for a nice amount of red pepper flakes. A-Ok in my book, but adjust as needed to suit your taste buds. Find the recipe here.
Good food requires good music, both while cooking and during the savoring. Today the late, great soul singer Marvin Gaye takes the mic to ask the pandemic-related question on most everyone’s mind -- What’s Going On? He was speaking out against the Vietnam War but I wonder if any parallels could be made to our current situation? Hmm. Give a listen.
For your dining pleasure, may I present a throwback playlist – keep throwin’, we’re going way back to the 1940s – featuring Erskine Hawkins, a jazzman and bandleader from Alabama who almost certainly ate his fair share of beans and greens back in the day.
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