Developing a new dish can feel a bit like trying to reinvent the wheel. Usually, my favorite "original" recipes are heavily inspired by other cultures, different life experiences and memorable meals I’ve had either out at restaurants or sitting around a loved ones dinner table.

With this particular recipe for example, I was really inspired by my own experience getting married as a black woman and by one of my favorite savory meals,  Italian Wedding Soup. While this comforting soup can be made a few different ways, (see this recipe and this recipe) my personal favorite has an abundance of root vegetables, handfuls of leafy greens, tender herbs, a well-seasoned broth as well as a massive helping of meat.

While Italian wedding soup isn’t meant to be some romantic celebration of two people deciding to join their lives together—the name actually comes from the Italian phrase "minestra maritata" which speaks to the marriage of the flavors in this dish—I got to wondering what my personal interpretation of this soup might look like.  

Much like the Italian variety, my soup would feature a green—in this case collards instead of escarole or spinach, black eyed peas in the place of white beans or pasta, and pork jowl bacon instead of chicken sausage. I switched the name too and came up with this: Jumping the Broom Soup.

For those who don't know, jumping the broom is a tradition within the black community that has historical roots in certain West African traditions and of course American slavery. During that time, enslaved African Americans weren't allowed to legally marry (cause you know, they weren't considered full humans with autonomy). Jumping the broom symbolized a couple’s commitment to one another during a time in which such unions were forbidden.

Following emancipation the practice fell out of favor but thanks to the show Roots, the tradition was reintroduced to a new generation of black couples looking to honor their heritage. When Shep and I got married in September, we jumped over a broom to signify that we were finally hitched. It was one of the most special moments of our entire ceremony.

For me, so much of how I choose to express myself creatively is based on how I perceive my cultural identity. One of the foundations of that is my tie to black heritage cuisine. While others might refer to it simply as Southern food or soul food or even comfort food, to me, it’s so much more than that—it’s a legacy and a way to honor my ancestors.

I love playing around with the food I, like so many other black folks across this country, grew up with. It is so versatile and so imbued with love, wisdom and respect for the ingredients at hand. While Jumping the Broom soup was undoubtedly influenced by its Italian cousin, this dish is also bursting with my own experiences and culture.  

I’m so proud of this creation. The consistency is more stewy than soupy so it's perfect for this time of year when temperatures dip to disrespectful levels of cold and you need something to stick to your bones. Even though I made this soup on the stove top, you could also throw all the ingredients in a crock-pot or Instant Pot for a timesaving, soul-warming dinner or lunch.

This soup also pairs ridiculously well with my duck fat biscuits if you want to just be decadent.

I hope you’ll take this recipe and make it your own. Just in case you’ve got some questions on how to do so, I’ve tried to answer ones that I think will pop up below.

Can I use kale, mustard or other greens?
Yes! I chose to use collards because I was growing them in my home garden but you should use whatever greens you have on hand. Want to add mustards, kale or spinach? Do it! This soup only gets better the more veggies you add so don’t be shy.

I don’t eat pork, what can I use instead?
If you don’t eat pork, don’t worry you don’t have to use it here. You can substitute the pork jowl for smoked turkey meat or even different varieties of chicken sausage. If you choose to go the chicken sausage route, I really like this one and this one by Aidells.

Can this soup be made vegetarian?
Of course it can. Omitting the meat means you’ll have to get that smokey flavor from the addition of a few dashes of smoked paprika. Also instead of the meaty broth, use a solid veggie broth like this one. If you still want that meaty-texture add a few portobello mushroom slices in the soup just before serving.

Can I add leftovers I have laying around?
Hell yes. Got any leftover black eyed peas from the New Year? Uhhh throw them in. If you made a batch of sauteed greens that you haven’t finished eating yet…they’d be perfect in this soup. Basically add in everything but the kitchen sink if you need to get rid of it.  

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Jumping the Broom Soup

Author: Ryan Shepard

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 2 H & 30 MTotal time: 2 H & 45 M

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup dried black eyed peas
• 2 quarts (or 8 cups) chicken stock
• 2 pounds smoked pork jowl, ham hocks or smoked turkey
• 2 pounds of collard greens, cleaned and chopped
• 4 medium celery stalks, chopped
• 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bunch thyme sprigs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: chopped Italian parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Soak black eyed peas overnight in cold water or for two hours in boiling photo water. Make sure to sort through them to remove any stones or bad beans.
2. Place a large pot over medium heat and add oil, onion and garlic. Cook for 5-10 minutes until softened making sure not to burn garlic.
3. Add drained black eyed peas, pork jowl (or ham/smoked turkey if using), chicken stock, thyme and bay leaves to simmering pot. Cover and cook on medium heat for 90 minutes.
4. Remove meat from pot and set aside, allowing it to cool before adding it back in. Remove bay leaves and thyme as well.
5. Serve hot in a deep bowl topped with parsley

Notes:

If you want the consistency to be more soup-like, add more chicken broth until you achieve the desired result.

Did you make this recipe?

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