Kale, Spinach and Blackeye Peas with Chicken Chorizo sausage Soup

1 large clove or 2 small cloves garlic, peeled and chopped finely.
1/2 medium onion, peeled and diced finely.
1 large jalapeño, rinsed, seeds and pith removed, and chopped finely.
1 medium zuchini, rinsed, cut lengthwise into fourths, and diced into half-inch cubes.
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into half-inch cubes (I found it easier to cut them into half-inch rounds, then sliced each round into half-inch sticks, and then diced them up).
3 Al Fresco Chicken Andouille Sausage links, skin removed, sliced into fourths lengthwise, then diced into half-inch pieces.
4 cups fresh baby kale and spinach mix, rinsed and spun in a salad spinner to remove excess water.
32 oz low sodium chicken broth
1 cube vegetable bullion
1 can diced tomatoes with liquid (do not drain liquid)
1 can black eye peas (chickpeas or cannelini beans will work great with this dish, too)
1Tbsp extra light olive oil
1 can water
Dash of black or white pepper (optional)
Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)

A 1/4 cup of brown rice added into the bowl of soup would also go nicely together, if you can afford the additional calories. You can also omit or change out the chicken chorizo sausage. Otherwise this soup stands up very yummy on its own, so enjoy!

Heat olive oil in large nonstick pot on medium heat
Add garlic, onions, jalapeño pepper, and sweet potato then sauté until garlic and onions become translucent (about 3-5 minutes)

Add the chicken sausage, stir, turn heat down to medium-low, cover pot and let cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure veggies do not burn

Add the chicken broth, vegetable bullion, diced tomatoes with liquid, 1 can of water (I used the empty tomato can), black eye peas, and zuchini. Turn heat to med-hi, stir to dissolve the bullion (its ok if not completely dissolved-it will dissolve during the simmering process). Let the soup boil, then cover pot, turn down heat, and allow to simmer for another 5-10 minutes or until zuchinni is half cooked.

Stir in the baby kale and spinach, add a dash of ground black or white pepper (optional), cover pot, turn off heat, and let sit for 10 minutes to allow the greens to wilt in the hot soup.

Pour 2 ladles of soup (or approximately 1.5-1.75 cups) into a bowl, garnish if you like with fresh chopped parsley or fresh chopped cilantro, or top with 2-3 slices of avocado (not included in nutrition calculation)


Serving Size: Makes approx. 6 1.5-cup servings

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user RLVALD.