Gladys
03-10-2009, 04:51 PM
This is my husband's favorite soup recipe. It evolved over a period of years. Can you make any suggestions, should I change it?
Ingredients: (Makes a good sized pot of soup for a family)
½ lb small white beans
28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup diced ham
5 carrots, diced
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 large onion
1 cup finely diced celery
¾ cup chicken broth
½ cup parsley
1 bay leaf ½ tsp baking soda (quick bean-soak method)
1 tbs margarine
squeeze of lemon
¼ tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vegetable base concentrate
½ tsp MSG
4 black peppercorns
3 green peppercorns
5 cloves
Soaking the beans (½ lb. small white beans - about 1¼ c.):
Overnight method:
Refrigerate beans overnight in a bowl with about 6 cups of water. Pour off water. Stiffer beans.
Quicker method: Put beans in a pot with about 6 cups of water and ½ tsp of baking soda. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and wait about 15 minutes. Pour off water. These beans will “fall apart” a little easier.
In your 4 quart soup pot combine:
Soaked Beans
1 cup diced smoked ham (smaller than ¼ inch dice)
8 cups water (boiling if you have it)
1 bay leaf
(3 or 4 black peppercorns crushed)
(5 cloves)
Bring to a boil and simmer slowly for at least an hour.
Add to the pot:
5 Diced Carrots
½ large onion minced
1 scant cup celery diced finely
In a small nonstick skillet caramelize
½ large onion minced
1 tbs. of margarine
Cook the onion very slowly stirring often until color develops well. This will take about 15 minutes. Don’t let them burn on the edges.
Quarter and boil a large potato until soft adding a bit of salt and just enough water to cover in a small pan. Mash the potato very well with a fork, then return it to the potato cooking water.
When the beans have cooked for about 2 hours add:
Caramelized onion
28 oz. Can diced tomatoes (rinsed well)
¼ tsp. minced garlic
(A squeeze of lemon)
1 c. boiled mashed potato with its cooking water
1 tsp vegetable base concentrate
(¾ c. chicken broth, more if you want to thin the soup a bit)
½ tsp. MSG (Accent)
1 tsp salt
3 crushed green peppercorns
½ c parsley
Cook until beans are soft and soup “tastes” done. The total cooking time for most beans is about 3 hours.
We garnish with a good bunch of chopped parsely.
Ingredients: (Makes a good sized pot of soup for a family)
½ lb small white beans
28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup diced ham
5 carrots, diced
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 large onion
1 cup finely diced celery
¾ cup chicken broth
½ cup parsley
1 bay leaf ½ tsp baking soda (quick bean-soak method)
1 tbs margarine
squeeze of lemon
¼ tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vegetable base concentrate
½ tsp MSG
4 black peppercorns
3 green peppercorns
5 cloves
Soaking the beans (½ lb. small white beans - about 1¼ c.):
Overnight method:
Refrigerate beans overnight in a bowl with about 6 cups of water. Pour off water. Stiffer beans.
Quicker method: Put beans in a pot with about 6 cups of water and ½ tsp of baking soda. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and wait about 15 minutes. Pour off water. These beans will “fall apart” a little easier.
In your 4 quart soup pot combine:
Soaked Beans
1 cup diced smoked ham (smaller than ¼ inch dice)
8 cups water (boiling if you have it)
1 bay leaf
(3 or 4 black peppercorns crushed)
(5 cloves)
Bring to a boil and simmer slowly for at least an hour.
Add to the pot:
5 Diced Carrots
½ large onion minced
1 scant cup celery diced finely
In a small nonstick skillet caramelize
½ large onion minced
1 tbs. of margarine
Cook the onion very slowly stirring often until color develops well. This will take about 15 minutes. Don’t let them burn on the edges.
Quarter and boil a large potato until soft adding a bit of salt and just enough water to cover in a small pan. Mash the potato very well with a fork, then return it to the potato cooking water.
When the beans have cooked for about 2 hours add:
Caramelized onion
28 oz. Can diced tomatoes (rinsed well)
¼ tsp. minced garlic
(A squeeze of lemon)
1 c. boiled mashed potato with its cooking water
1 tsp vegetable base concentrate
(¾ c. chicken broth, more if you want to thin the soup a bit)
½ tsp. MSG (Accent)
1 tsp salt
3 crushed green peppercorns
½ c parsley
Cook until beans are soft and soup “tastes” done. The total cooking time for most beans is about 3 hours.
We garnish with a good bunch of chopped parsely.