Recipe by Chef Mercedes Melendez

Demonstrated at the Decatur Farmers Market on Saturday, September 30th. 

Ready in: 40 minutes

Active time: 15 minutes

Makes about twenty side dish portions or ten generous main course portions. 

Ingredients

From the Market:

• 1/2 pound of tomatoes from Jody’s Farms –$5 *Any variety of tomato will do, the softer and riper, the better!
• 2 medium sweet red peppers from Furrowed Earth Farm–$3
• 1 small red onion from Snapfinger Farm–$1
• 1 bunch radishes from Snapfinger Farm–$3
• 1/2 of a shallot from Furrowed Earth Farm–$1
• 3 cloves of garlic from Jody’s Farms–$2
• 1 cup fresh mung beans from Furrowed Earth Farm–$5 *You can substitute any bean like black eyed peas, field peas, butter beans, think beans with a creamy texture!*
• 1 cup okra from Partnership Farm–$4
• 1 small bunch of kale from Jody’s Farms–$3 *You can use any leafy green like mustard, collards, or chard*

Total produce cost: $27.00

Pantry ingredients:

• 3 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon tamari, soy sauce, or Worcestershire
• 1/2 tablespoon of seasoning salt
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• A small dollop of molasses

Directions: 

1. Roughly chop the tomatoes, sweet peppers, radish, onion, and shallot. Mince the garlic cloves.
2. Add the chopped vegetables to a large pot with the vegetable broth and water. Bring to a low boil.
3. While the broth is cooking, chop okra into small rounds and add to pot along with the beans. Add the salt and spices, stir to incorporate. Continue to simmer for twenty minutes.
4. Slice the greens into ribbons while the soup is cooking, then add the greens to the pot and cook for another ten minutes or until the beans are tender.
5. Remove from heat and stir in a small dollop of molasses to bring out the flavor of the soup.

Will keep at least three days in the fridge and freezes well. 

Our at-market Educational Chef demos are made possible by the generous support of Les Dames d’Escoffier International – Atlanta Chapter and Piedmont Healthcare.