Good Luck Soup for the New Year - Pastry Chef Online (2024)

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As we look ahead to the new year it’s traditional in many countries to cooke foods that symbolize luck. This good luck soup fits that bill deliciously. An Instant Pot full of lucky ingredients makes the very best New Years soup recipe!

And if soup is your thing, you may also enjoy my spicy tomato soup or lemon asparagus soup. And of course, don’t forget the crackers!
For ease of browsing, here are all of my soup recipes.

My wonderful, talented friend Anshie from SpiceRoots has generously written this guest post for you guys. If you’ve never read SpiceRoots, you really should. It is full of goodness and beautiful photos.

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Watch my Instant Pot good luck soup recipe web story here.

Table of Contents

Lucky Foods for the New Year

As we begin this new year with hopes and dreams about the near future, I have gathered a few things to bring you this Instant Pot Good Luck Soup to start the new year on the right note.

Whether or not you believe in the superstitions, it’s a nice thing to have a little tradition surrounding the first meal of the year!

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After all, it is fun and there’s no downside in making lady luck smile on us!

Many cultures follow the tradition of eating greens on the first day of the year. Some cultures prefer black eyed peas, lentils, beans or chickpeas.

And in some cultures, pork is the dish of the day. This year, instead of making three different dishes with the “lucky” ingredients, I combined them together and made a delicious spiced soup.

Served with a crusty bread on the side, it makes for a wonderful meal.

Ingredients and Substitutions

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While there are quite a few spices involved in adding flavor to this soup, the ingredient list is not super long, and, with the exception of the kokum, you should be able to find all the ingredients at your local grocery.

Here’s what you’ll need:

black eyed peas, soaked in water for at least 8 hours: You may use other beans, but black-eyed peas are traditional
cooking oil: a neutral vegetable oil is best, but use what you have. The recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon, so you can even leave it out and just use the fat from cooking the bacon and sausage
diced bacon: any bacon will do. It provides richness and a smoky base flavor.
hot Italian sausage: The pork products symbolize “progress,” plus they add additional flavor and spices. Use bulk sausage or sausage in casings. Just cut away the casings and use the sausage mixture itself.
chopped garlic: Fresh is best, but the pre-minced kind in jars or bottles will work well also
bay leaves: fresh or dried
cumin seeds: if you don’t have whole cumin seeds, use ground
cayenne: use more or less, to taste. Some people might find the soup spicy enough if using hot Italian sausage, so if you are sensitive to spice, omit or leave it to the end of cooking to see if you want to add it
turmeric: In this amount, it is mainly there for a little color, but turmeric is also an anti-inflammatory, so I try to use it as often as I can. If you don’t have turmeric, it is okay to omit it.
collard greens: fresh. Wash them well and cut away all the thicker, fibrous stems and ribs
salt: brings out the flavor of all the other ingredients. Salt to taste and adjust at the end of the cooking time.
rosemary chopped: brings a fresh, woodsy note to the soup. You can substitute thyme or Italian seasoning if you don’t have rosemary
water: Feel free to use vegetable broth or chicken broth/stock instead. If using salted broth, omit the salt and taste at the end to adjust
2- 3 dried kokum (garcinia indica), soaked in 2 tbs of hot water; or substitute with 1 tsp lemon juice: I have not made it with the kokum, which should be available at Indian markets. It’s delicious with the lemon, though. If you don’t have lemon, add just a touch of vinegar for brightness at the end of cooking.
lemon zest: If you don’t have fresh lemons, just omit it, but it does add a lovely, bright floral note to the soup.

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Procedure

The soup is pretty easy to make, and in the Instant Pot, it only takes about an hour, including 30 minutes of natural pressure release (NPR). Here’s what you’ll do:

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Soak the beans in cold water (enough to cover the beans by about 3 inches) for several hours.
On saute, add the oil and the cook the bacon and sausage until browned.
Add the garlic, salt, and spices and mix well.
Add the collards, rosemary, rinsed and drained beans, and water.
Cook on high pressure for 30 for 30 minutes and then allow 30 minutes NPR.
Remove lid from the Instant Pot, and add lemon juice and zest right before serving.

Other Ways to Cook the Soup

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you could make this soup in a crock pot, a Dutch oven or a stove-top pressure cooker.

You will have to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

In case of the Dutch oven, you will need to adjust the liquid based on how quickly it evaporates.

Good Luck Soup Q&A:

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Can I make a vegan good luck soup?

Yes. Omit the bacon, use a plant-based sausage plus a teaspoon of liquid smoke. The rest of the ingredients are vegan as written. NOTE: Cook and crumble the vegan sausage first and then add it at the end of cooking to heat through so it doesn’t get mushy in the Instant Pot.

Do I have to remove the sausage casings?

No, you don’t, especially if you like larger pieces of sausage in your soup. Removing the casings will allow the sausage to crumble more readily, and you can even use bulk sausage rather than sausage in casings. Either way is just fine.

How long to soak the black-eyed peas before cooking?

I soaked the black-eyed peas for over 12 hours in cool water. There are many schools of thought on whether you should salt the soaking water or not. I belong to the group that doesn’t salt the soaking water. But it’s really up to you.

Questions?

It will help me and other readers so much if you take a moment to rate and leave a review for this recipe.

You can use the stars to rate 1-5 (5 is best), and leave a review in the comments. It helps me make adjustments if any are needed, and comments help others decide whether the recipe is worth making.

Other ways to share include pinning, and/or sharing on your favorite social media platform.

Thank you so much for taking the time!

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I really hope you love this New Year’s soup recipe, you guys!

Thanks, and enjoy!

Instant Pot Good Luck Soup

Jennifer Field

Good Luck Soup is warming on any cold night, and with collards, beans, sausage and spice, it is full of flavor too.

5 from 3 votes

Ingredients

1 c black eyed peas soaked in water for at least 8 hours
½ tsp cooking oil
3 – 4 strips of bacon diced
14 oz hot italian sausage about 5 to 6 , cut into ½ in rounds
1 Tbs chopped garlic
2 small bay leaves
¼ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp cayenne
⅛ tsp turmeric
1 bunch collard greens roughly chopped
1.5 tsp salt
½ tsp rosemary chopped
4 cups water
2- 3 dried kokum garcinia indica, soaked in 2 tbs of hot water; or substitute with 1 tsp lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

Set your instant pot on Saute mode and heat.
Add the oil and then cook the diced bacon until lightly browned.
Add in the sausage and get them nicely browned on all sides.
Now add in the garlic, bay leaves, cumin, cayenne, turmeric and mix.
Add in the collard greens, salt, rosemary.
Drain the beans and add them in.
Add 4 cups of water, Cover and cook for 30 minutes on High Pressure.
Allow to NPR ( Natural Pressure Release ) for 30 minutes.
Add in the kokum along with the soaking water and cook on saute for 5 minutes.
(Add the lemon juice just before serving if not using kokum)
Add lemon zest just before serving.
Eat hot.

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Notes

Dutch Oven Instructions

Cook bacon and sausage until mostly done. Add the spices and saute for a minute. Add the rest of the ingredients including the soaked beans and cook at a slow simmer over low heat for 2 hours or until the beans are nice and tender, adding additional water as needed. Add lemon juice and zest at the end of cooking. Taste and adjust flavors as necessary.

Slow Cooker Instructions

Cook bacon and sausage until mostly done. Add spices and saute for a minute. Transfer to your slow cooker, and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on high for 4 hours or until the beans are nice and tender. Add lemon juice and zest at the end of cooking. Adjust seasonings as necessary.

Storing

Cool soup as quickly as possible and store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days. To reheat, bring to at least 165F for at least 15 seconds. You may reheat in the microwave or on the stove.

Freezing

Ladle cooled soup into individual portions in freezer bags and press out all the air before freezing. Store the bags in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat at least 165F for at least 15 seconds either in the microwave or on the stove.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 318kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 19gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 1217mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3g

Keyword good luck soup, how to make good luck soup, money soup, New Year soup

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And there you have it friends. A rich and flavorful Good Luck Soup made in your Instant Pot, ready to bring you luck in the new year and also a very happy tummy.

And thank you again to my friend Anshie for helping me out with this delicious guest post. Please don’t forget to go visit her at SpiceRoots, friends!