Zydeco Soup

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This is a delicious soup that i originally found on the better homes and gardens website, but i've seen it reprinted on a variety of other cooking and recipe sites. i tried to research the background so i could accurately list its origin when posting this recipe. but there doesn't seem to be any sort of consensus whether this soup is more accurately classified as a cajun or creole recipe. It seems to be one of those age-old questions that has no definite answer one way or the other, though most sites seem to agree that its roots are firmly planted in louisiana. so, i'll leave it up to each individual to decide if this is cajun or creole.

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Steps

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Heat oil in a 4-quart dutch oven.

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Add celery , onion , sweet pepper and garlic.

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Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.

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Stir in ham , paprika , sugar , dry mustard , cumin , basil , oregano , thyme , cloves , black pepper and cayenne pepper.

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Cook for 5 more minutes , stirring frequently.

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Stir in black-eyed peas , hominy , undrained tomatoes , chicken broth , parsley and molasses.

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Bring to boil , then reduce heat and cover dutch over and let soup simmer for 30 minutes.

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Ingredients

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celery, onion, green sweet pepper, garlic cloves, olive oil, cooked ham, paprika, sugar, dry mustard, ground cumin, dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, ground cloves, black pepper, cayenne pepper, black-eyed peas, yellow hominy, diced tomatoes, low sodium chicken broth, fresh parsley, molasses