Ginas Hoppin John Soup

• 1 small bunch (about 1 pound) collard greens
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 ounces smoked ham steak, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 dried bay leaf
• One 15 1/2-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1 cup cooked long-grain white rice
• Dash of hot sauce, preferably Tabasco
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• Parmesan cheese, grated, for topping

1. Remove the stems and center ribs from the collard greens.
2. Stack about six leaves on top of each other, roll into a cigar shape, and slice into thin ribbons.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat.
4. When the oil is hot, toss in the ham, onion, garlic, carrot, and celery, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, roughly 4 minutes.
5. Sprinkle in the red-pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper.
6. Add the collard greens, and saute until they begin to soften.
7. Pour in the chicken broth, the bay leaf, the black-eyed peas, and the can of tomatoes with their juices.
8. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes.
9. Stir the rice into the soup to warm.
10. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
11. Spoon into bowls, and sprinkle each bowl with Parmesan cheese.

collard greens, olive oil, ham steak, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, redpepper, kosher salt, lowsodium, bay leaf, blackeyed peas, tomatoes, white rice, hot sauce, worcestershire sauce, parmesan cheese

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/gina-s-hoppin-john-soup-383973 (may not work)