Zach travels for work 6-7 times a year. Cooking for one is hard. Most recipes make too much. You end up with leftovers for days, or you waste food. It’s easier to just make something simple and quick. But I still want it to be …

In the South, collards are a staple side dish, but they’re also a New Year’s Day tradition: My Meemaw (my East Texas grandmother) always made collard greens, black-eyed peas, and cornbread for New Year’s Day. Every single year, without fail: greens for money, peas for luck in the coming year.

This soup is one of my go-to lunch soups, especially as the weather gets colder. It’s dead simple to make, keeps well, freezes well, and can be jazzed up multiple ways to keep it from getting boring.