- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- 1 stalk celery, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
- 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 5 cups chopped collard greens or kale leaves, tough stems removed
- 1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed
- 6 1/2-inch-thick slices baguette, preferably whole-grain, cut on the diagonal
- 1 clove garlic, whole
- 6 tablespoons shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
- 2 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and finely chopped
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add sliced garlic, thyme and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Increase heat to high and add broth, tomatoes and their juices. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in collard greens (or kale), reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Discard the thyme sprig. Stir in black-eyed peas; remove from the heat and cover.
- Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
- Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and broil until lightly toasted, 2 to 4 minutes. Rub each bread slice with garlic. (Discard garlic.) Turn the slices over and top with cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve the soup topped with the cheese toasts and bacon.