The soup draws its main flavors from olive oil, cured meat, and watercress. It gains substance and supporting flavors from the peas and a little onion. The combination is delicious, warming, and celebratory in a rustic way. I like to serve with a bottle of Tabasco or any vinegar hot sauce at the table.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

　　2 ounces ham, prosciutto, or bacon, chopped

　　1 medium onion, chopped

　　2 cups cooked, canned, or frozen black-eyed peas (see Note)

　　2 cups watercress, trimmed and chopped

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Put half the olive oil in a deep skillet or casserole over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook, stirring, for a minute; then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens and begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the peas and 1 quart of water and bring to a boil; turn the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the peas are completely tender—10 minutes for cooked or canned, about 30 minutes for frozen.

　　

Step 2

Stir in the watercress and cook, stirring occasionally, for just a couple of minutes, or until it wilts. Add more water if the soup is very thick. Taste and adjust the seasoning, stir in the remaining olive oil, and serve.

　　Cooks' Note

　　Frozen black-eyed peas (and white beans, chickpeas, and others) can be found in the supermarket freezer, and their convenience and quality are unparalleled; they’re faster and easier to use than dried beans or peas and far better tasting than canned ones. In the case of black-eyed peas, they need about half an hour to become fully tender. If you use precooked peas or those from a can (please rinse them first), that time will be reduced to almost nothing.

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.