We continue our Monday {Soup’s On} series with good old bean soup. It’s an obvious choice as the weather turns. It means heartiness, protein and satisfaction that only beans can deliver. A favorite bean mix of ours is a simple bag of Hurst’s 15 Bean Soup that has never failed to make an appearance in any grocery store I’ve shopped. Obviously it has a huge variety of beans, and you can spice these guys up any way you please.
Here’s the recipe we love to make. It takes a little forethought to soak the beans overnight and takes a little time to let it sputter away on the stove, but this is the kind of soup that sticks to your ribs, and gets better and better as a leftover.
Ingredients:
- 20 oz. variety of dried beans (again, we love these)
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
- 2 cups water
- 1 15oz. can stewed tomatoes
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- S&P
- 6 strips bacon, baked and chopped
Soak dried beans overnight (for at least 8 hours) in a large pot of water, covering the beans by at least an inch. The next day, when you’re ready to cook, rinse the beans. In a soup pot, sauté onion and garlic until soft. Add broth, water and soaked beans to the pot, and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 2 hours. Add in tomatoes, carrots, celery and seasoning, and simmer for another hour. Before serving, add the bacon pieces.
Girls of a Feather 