Slow Cooker Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups chopped yellow onion (from 1 large onion)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (1 Tbsp.)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 lb. smoked ham hocks
• 1 lb. dried black-eyed peas
• 10 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups chopped stemmed collard greens (from 1 [8-oz.] bunch)
• ¾ cup chopped celery (from 3 small celery stalks)
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 (8½-oz.) pkg. precooked microwavable white rice
• 1½ Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
• ¾ tsp. black pepper
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. 1Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until it becomes translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes. Sweating the onions first builds a sweeter, more complex base flavor than adding them raw to the slow cooker.
2. 2Stir in the minced garlic and ground cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Blooming the cumin in the hot oil unlocks its deep, earthy notes. Transfer the cooked aromatics to a 6-quart slow cooker.
3. 3Add the smoked ham hocks, dried black-eyed peas, chicken broth, chopped collard greens, celery, and dried bay leaves to the slow cooker.
4. 4Cover and cook until the ham hocks and peas are very tender. This takes about 4 hours on the high setting or 7 to 8 hours on the low setting.
5. 5Carefully remove and discard the bay leaves. Use tongs to transfer the ham hocks to a cutting board and let them rest for about 5 minutes until they're cool enough to handle. Letting them rest slightly prevents you from burning your fingers while shredding.
6. 6Discard the bones and skin from the ham hocks. Shred the remaining meat into bite-size pieces and return it to the slow cooker, stirring well to combine.
7. 7Stir in the precooked white rice and let it heat through for about 1 minute. Season the soup with the fresh thyme, black pepper, kosher salt, and cayenne pepper before ladling into bowls.

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