Best Bean Soup I've Ever Made

[rodentraiser]

By cooking beans, are you referring to a certain type of bean or are you saying I need to pre-soak for when I am cooking them?

Beans confuse the daylights out of me. But I am easily confused, so there's that, too.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I used to overnight soak any type of bean I was going to use. Then I read this (and a few other) articles:

Don't Soak Your Dried Beans

The last time I made a soup with beans (navy), I used them right from the bag, rinsed. I did cook the beans separately from the rest of the ingredients for part of the time because I needed to do some saute prepping in the larger soup pot while the beans cooked in a smaller one. I have to say the texture was more to our liking - some of them actually cooked up softer than pre-soaked beans and Himself likes them a little smooshy in soups. I thought the flavor was a tad better, too. Until I change my mind, I probably won't soak any smaller beans, but I will still overnight soak the big, harder ones (like chickpeas).

 

[GotGarlic]

By cooking beans, are you referring to a certain type of bean or are you saying I need to pre-soak for when I am cooking them?

Beans confuse the daylights out of me. But I am easily confused, so there's that, too.

Now I'm confused All dried beans are "cooking" beans. They're inedible otherwise. I meant pre-soak before cooking.

Although after reading CG's link, it looks like it's not necessary after all. Just cook a little longer.

 

[rodentraiser]

Oh. I thought there was such a thing as a "cooking bean" as opposed to ones that weren't. That's OK, that's just me being me. I was in a math class once and the teacher was confusing me to no end when he kept saying "find the hole.." (we were studying areas). I thought he meant to find the hole somewhere in the part he was indicating and I didn't see it. He actually meant find the whole - as in find the whole area.

The last time I made a soup with beans (navy), I used them right from the bag, rinsed.

That's what I do when I make the refried beans. I just rinse them. After being on high in the crock pot and boiling for a couple of hours, they get soft on their own.

 

[Addie]

I always soak dried beans. Just what I grew up with and learned from my mother.

 

[rodentraiser]

Seems to me if I put the crock pot on low for a soup, I have to soak the beans. If I have it on high, I can just get away with rinsing them.

 

[Lance Bushrod]

Me, too! I bought bags of black, pinto beans and split peas this week. A local grocery is closing so they had everything marked way down. Can't go wrong with having these on hand. A pantry staple.

Haggen? We drive to Zillah and buy beans, peas, and garbanzo in bulk. I'd have to make mine from scratch, too.

WinCo has some wonderful smoked hocks, too.

 

[RPCookin]

I always soak dried beans. Just what I grew up with and learned from my mother.

I would probably do it the old fashioned TnT way too. It doesn't really take any more work, just the foresight to set them soaking the night before.

 

[CWS4322]

Sounds way-good. I didn't think to add carrot or tomato.

Seeeeya Chief Longwind of the North

Thanks, Chief, it was really tasty. I added some rutabaga hafway through the week (it was my pot-o-soup for the week). Definitely am going to try stove-top smoking some turkey drumsticks soon. Might do it with tea and salt...

 

[GotGarlic]

Seems to me if I put the crock pot on low for a soup, I have to soak the beans. If I have it on high, I can just get away with rinsing them.

Why?

 

[rodentraiser]

I should have said, "I can get away with just rinsing them". That might have been clearer.

I've only tried making bean soup, split pea soup, and refried beans in the crock pot.

The one time I made bean soup and left the crock pot on low (even for 8 hours), the beans were still hard.

With split pea soup and refried beans, the recipes said to put them on high for 8 hours (even though I normally cook on low in a crock pot), and I've never had any problem with the peas or the beans being hard.

On high, it take my crock pot about 3 to 4 hours to start the water boiling and then I just let the water (actually chicken broth) boil for another couple of hours. With the pinto beans, it's to turn them that pretty dark brown color so I can mash them into refried beans.

And yes, that's how I make my refried beans (with spices, of course), even though it's not the traditional way. So much cheaper and better tasting than what I get in a can.