Antioxidant-rich collard greens and fiber-packed black-eyed peas have a starring role in this nutritious soup. There's no need for loads of ham or salt pork--just a small amount of bacon gives it a wonderful smoky flavor. You can skip the bacon and substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth for a great vegetarian dish.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, (4 sliced and 1 whole), divided
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper , or to taste
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 5 cups chopped collard greens, or kale leaves (about 1 bunch), tough stems removed
• 1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed
• 6 1/2-inch-thick slices baguette, preferably whole-grain, cut on the diagonal
• 6 tablespoons shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
• 2 slices cooked bacon , finely chopped

Directions

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add sliced garlic, thyme and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Increase heat to high and add broth, tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in collard greens (or kale), reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Discard the thyme sprig. Stir in black-eyed peas; remove from the heat and cover.
• Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
• Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and broil until lightly toasted, 2 to 4 minutes. Rub each bread slice with the remaining garlic clove. (Discard garlic.) Turn the slices over and top with cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve the soup topped with the cheese toasts and bacon.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories 192, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 13 mg, Sodium 518 mg, Carbohydrate 23 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 12 g, Potassium 253 mg. Daily Values: Vitamin A 50%, Vitamin C 25%. Exchanges: Starch 1, Vegetable 1, Medium-Fat Meat 0.5, Fat 0.5.
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet