Fourteen ingredients and forty-five minutes, from canned peas and beans.
The smoky flavour comes entirely from a teaspoon and a half of smoked paprika. The soup is meatless and meant to stay thin and brothy.
Why This Recipe Works
- Softening onion, celery and red pepper first builds a savoury base without meat.
- Blooming smoked paprika and cumin in oil deepens their flavour.
- Canned peas and beans keep the soup quick while staying whole.
- Diced tomatoes give the broth its red-brown colour and a little acidity.
- An uncovered simmer melds the flavours without thickening the broth.
Ingredient Notes
- Smoked paprika
- A teaspoon and a half. This is the only source of the smoky flavour — there is no ham or sausage.
- Black-eyed peas and black beans
- Two cans and one can, drained and rinsed. The fully dark beans in the bowl are the black beans.
- Celery and red bell pepper
- Two ribs and one pepper, diced. Neither is named in the title, and both are visible in the soup.
- Vegetable broth and diced tomatoes
- Five cups and one can. They make the thin, red-brown broth.
How to Make It
Onion, celery and red pepper softened in olive oil
Heat olive oil in a pot over medium. Cook onion, celery and red bell pepper 6 to 8 minutes until softened.
Garlic, smoked paprika and cumin cooked thirty seconds
Add garlic, smoked paprika and cumin and cook 30 seconds.
Peas, beans, broth and tomatoes simmered twenty minutes
Add black-eyed peas, black beans, broth and diced tomatoes. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes.
Seasoned, parsley added, kept thin and brothy
Season with salt and pepper and finish with parsley. Keep the soup thin and brothy.
No collards, sausage or rice
Do not add collards, sausage or rice.
A Smoky Soup With No Smoked Meat
The title promises smoke, and there is no ham, no sausage, nothing smoked at all. THE SMOKE SOURCE IS SMOKED PAPRIKA, NOT HAM HOCK OR SAUSAGE. So the flavour has to be balanced from spices and vegetables alone.
- Smoke1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- COOKED 30 SECONDS with the garlic and cumin before any liquid goes in. Blooming it in oil is what releases the smoky flavour and colours the broth red-brown. This is the only source of smoke in the pot - NO MEAT IS USED.
- Earthiness1/2 tsp ground cumin, 2 cans black-eyed peas, 1 can black beans
- The peas and beans DRAINED AND RINSED, and the cumin warming alongside the paprika. The fully dark beans are BLACK BEANS, which is why there are two kinds of bean.
- Savoury base1 medium onion, 2 celery ribs, 1 red bell pepper, 3 garlic cloves
- The onion, celery and red pepper COOKED 6 TO 8 MINUTES UNTIL SOFTENED. Without meat, this is where the depth comes from.
- Brightness and body5 cups vegetable broth, 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- SIMMERED UNCOVERED 20 MINUTES. The tomatoes add a little acid against the earthy beans, and the broth keeps it THIN AND BROTHY - the third separator.
SEASONED WITH 1/2 tsp SALT AND 1/4 tsp PEPPER and FINISHED WITH 1/3 cup PARSLEY. The last step is a boundary rather than a technique: DO NOT ADD COLLARDS, SAUSAGE OR RICE.
Success Tips
- Rinse the canned peas and beans well so the broth stays clear.
- Watch the paprika — thirty seconds in hot oil is enough; longer and it turns bitter.
- Keep the lid off while it simmers so it doesn't stew down thick.
Serving Ideas
Six bowls of thin, brothy red-brown soup with black-eyed peas, black beans, diced red bell pepper, celery and onion, topped with fresh parsley.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there ham or sausage in it?
No. The soup is meatless, and the smoky flavour comes from smoked paprika.
Can I add collards or rice?
Not for this recipe. It stays a thin, brothy soup with no collards, sausage or rice.
Should it be thick like a stew?
No — it's meant to stay thin and brothy. Simmering uncovered for 20 minutes melds the flavours without thickening it.
