Provencal Black-Eyed Peas with Asparagus

1 pound fresh asparagus
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium white onion, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
2 cups cooked and drained black-eyed peas
2 cloves minced garlic (optional)
1 tbsp Herbes de Provence
1 large bay leaf
1/2 tsp. salt plus a pinch
black pepper
3 cups vegetable stock/broth
2 tsp arrowroot powder (can use cornstarch in a pinch)
2 tbsp fresh minced parsley

Snap off and discard tough stem ends of asparagus, cut crosswise at a slant into 1 inch pieces.

Heat olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and bell pepper until they begin to brown, about 6 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the asparagus, black-eyed peas, garlic, Herbes de Provence, bay leaf, 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper, and 3/4 cup of the veggie stock. Bring to a strong simmer, then cover and cook until the asparagus is barely tender, about 5-8 minutes. Stir once or twice during cooking.

Dissolve the arrowroot powder in a tablespoon of water in a small bowl. When the asparagus is tender, stir in the arrowroot mixutre and cook for another 30 seconds or so until the sauce thickens. Stir in the parsley.

The original recipe called to cook 1.5 cups couscous in 2.25 cups of broth for five minutes and says serve asparagus mixture over mounds of hot couscous. I omitted the couscous from this recipe so you can use as much or as little couscous as you want, depending on how much you want to eat. But I still recommend the couscous!

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user ERIKA00177.