Black-Eyed Pea Soup with Spinach and Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 1 (12- to 16-ounce) bag frozen spinach
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 ¼ cups vegetable broth, divided, plus more as needed
• 1 (24-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 (16-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

Instructions

1. 1Sauté the spinach, onion, and oil in a large pot over medium heat until the onion begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour until the spinach and onion are evenly coated.
2. 2Return the pot to the stove and add the bell pepper, garlic, oregano, thyme, basil, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Sauté about 3 minutes. Dribble in about ¼ cup of vegetable broth and stir to prevent the ingredients from drying out.
3. 3Add the remaining 3 cups of broth, tomatoes, corn, and black-eyed peas and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring often, until the soup has thickened and the peppers have softened but still have some snap, about 15 minutes.
4. 4Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Top with a sprinkling of feta cheese. Serve with cornbread.