Black-Eyed Peas: Soup or Stew

Dried Black-eyed Peas Soup or Stew Ingredients: 1 16-oz packet of dried black-eyed peas $3  6 cups tap water 1 medium onion Oil Salt Dried red chilis (optional) Time to complete about 90 minutes on stove top; 50 minutes in a pressure cooker; overnight or while you're at work in a slow-cooker. (Cook some legumes in a slow-cooker every night and freeze for daily meals.) Directions for cooking 1. Measure 2 cups dried black-eyed peas 2. Rinse the peas 3. Put in pressure cooker or pot or slow-cooker 4. Cover peas with plenty of water  Always cook beans alone in water until they are completely mushy. Adding salt or ANY other ingredients will prohibit the beans from becoming mushy.  5. Cook black-eyed peas for five or six whistles (about 25 minutes) at just below-boiling temperature 6. Take pressure cooker off heat 7. Let cool (it is dangerously hot at this time) 7. Chop onion finely; fry half of the onion in a pan with about 2 tablespoons of oil 8. Add one or two dried red chilies in pan with oil and fry with onion 9. PERFORM SAFETY CHECK HERE before taking lid off (link here) 10. CAREFULLY pour cooked black-eyed peas into pan where onions and red chillies are frying 11. Salt to taste 12. Mash some of the black-eyed peas in the pan to make a thicker gravy Serve over mashed potatoes (link here) with chopped onion and sweet relish Important note about cooking any legumes. Acidic ingredients like tomatoes and lemon juice STOP legumes from becoming tender. The acidic ingredients interact with the skins of the legumes and it makes them tough regardless of the amount of time you've been cooking them. So cook your legumes completely before adding any ingredients that are acidic in nature. To save on time I cook a large batch of legumes before I even need them for a meal. I divide the batch of cooked legumes up and freeze them in little plastic bags. Then on another day, I cook the COOKED and now frozen legumes together with the other ingredients like onions and tomatoes and whatever. This process gives you a complete meal within 20 minutes. Easy mashed potatoes Serving black eyed peas with pickle relish, diced sweet onions, and mashed potatoes (and soya sauce too - makes a great combo!). For large groups