ISO/need help with Great Northern Bean soup

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mj1

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Jun 25, 2008
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I want to make Great Northern Bean soup (in the slow cooker/Crock Pot) but I don't have a recipe. I did try to search for one, but I never have or even use the ingredients listed in many recipes, which is frustrating. Could someone please help me either find or create a recipe based on the ingredients I have? I'm not making a special trip to the store just to pick up a couple ingredients.

So here's what I have that may work:


Main Ingredients:

Great Northern Beans - dry - 1 lb.
Tomatoes, canned and diced - two 14 oz cans
Frozen vegetables (broccoli, peas, green beans, corn, carrots)
Carrots
Onions - yellow and sweet
Polish Sausage (the crappy pre-cooked kind which is really more of a glorified hot dog) - 9 oz.


Spices:
Chili powder
Chipotle Chili powder
Cumin
Garlic powder
Garlic salt
Garlic (the minced kind that comes in a jar)
Oregano
Italian Seasoning
Sage
Thyme
Basil
Parsley flakes
Celery seed
Turmeric
Ginger
Cinnamon
Allspice
Nutmeg
Mustard - dry
Salt
Pepper
Red Pepper flakes
Bouillon cubes - chicken
Butter



I have no idea how much water to add to the beans. I found that eight cups with 1 lb. of black beans was too much, but too little for 1 lb. of split peas. Maybe I should start with seven cups or use eight and cook the beans until they're mushier.

I can and probably should use all of the sausage. I think about 1/2 cup of yellow onions would be good. Would more be better? We love onions around here.

I'd like to use at least two vegetables, but one would be fine. I'm not sure what to use. Carrots? Tomatoes? How much?
I'd like to try not to use butter, but would be willing to use a very small amount.

Spices is where I really have problems. I cannot season something properly to save my life. Plus, I don't know what seasonings to use with great northern beans and wouldn't know where to start.




Thanks in advance for any help you can give. I may not be able to respond to any replies for awhile, but I should be able to read them.
 
I want to make Great Northern Bean soup (in the slow cooker/Crock Pot) but I don't have a recipe. I did try to search for one, but I never have or even use the ingredients listed in many recipes, which is frustrating. Could someone please help me either find or create a recipe based on the ingredients I have? I'm not making a special trip to the store just to pick up a couple ingredients.

So here's what I have that may work:

Main Ingredients:

Great Northern Beans - dry - 1 lb.
Tomatoes, canned and diced - two 14 oz cans
Frozen vegetables (broccoli, peas, green beans, corn, carrots)
Carrots
Onions - yellow and sweet
Polish Sausage (the crappy pre-cooked kind which is really more of a glorified hot dog) - 9 oz.

Spices:
Chili powder
Chipotle Chili powder
Cumin
Garlic powder
Garlic salt
Garlic (the minced kind that comes in a jar)
Oregano
Italian Seasoning
Sage
Thyme
Basil
Parsley flakes
Celery seed
Turmeric
Ginger
Cinnamon
Allspice
Nutmeg
Mustard - dry
Salt
Pepper
Red Pepper flakes
Bouillon cubes - chicken
Butter

I have no idea how much water to add to the beans. I found that eight cups with 1 lb. of black beans was too much, but too little for 1 lb. of split peas. Maybe I should start with seven cups or use eight and cook the beans until they're mushier.

I can and probably should use all of the sausage. I think about 1/2 cup of yellow onions would be good. Would more be better? We love onions around here.

I'd like to use at least two vegetables, but one would be fine. I'm not sure what to use. Carrots? Tomatoes? How much?
I'd like to try not to use butter, but would be willing to use a very small amount.

Spices is where I really have problems. I cannot season something properly to save my life. Plus, I don't know what seasonings to use with great northern beans and wouldn't know where to start.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give. I may not be able to respond to any replies for awhile, but I should be able to read them.

Mj1
I would use a whole onion chopped. 2 carrots finely chopped, 1 can of tomatoes, parsley, garlic/garlic powder, salt and pepper. The package of beans should have cooking instructions giving you an idea how much water to use. There are a couple if different ways that you could season. Simply with thyme, salt, pepper and maybe red pepper flakes if you like some heat. We make a 13 beans soup using those "crappy" polish sausage that I think you are talking about (bar S ?). We use the spicy ones ;). Anyway for that soup we make it spicy you could use all of the above (except maybe the thyme) and add chili powder or some of the chipotle chili powder (1T) we use 2-1/2 quarts of water to cook the beans ( 3 hours or so) then we add everything else. Good luck! Keep us posted on what you end up doing. :)
 
As Somebunny said, cook the beans first, then add tomatoes if you are going to use them. Acid in the tomatoes keeps beans from getting soft--crunchy beans are not a good thing.

I would skip the tomatoes, myself, and just use onions, carrots, sausage.
 
Mj1
I would use a whole onion chopped. 2 carrots finely chopped, 1 can of tomatoes, parsley, garlic/garlic powder, salt and pepper. The package of beans should have cooking instructions giving you an idea how much water to use. There are a couple if different ways that you could season. Simply with thyme, salt, pepper and maybe red pepper flakes if you like some heat. We make a 13 beans soup using those "crappy" polish sausage that I think you are talking about (bar S ?). We use the spicy ones ;). Anyway for that soup we make it spicy you could use all of the above (except maybe the thyme) and add chili powder or some of the chipotle chili powder (1T) we use 2-1/2 quarts of water to cook the beans ( 3 hours or so) then we add everything else. Good luck! Keep us posted on what you end up doing. :)

Definitely soak and cook the beans first. And add in the liquid from any canned items you use into the total amount of liquid. Acid foods and salt will toughen up the beans before they even have a chance to cook if you fail to soak and cook first. Change the water you soak the beans in and start with fresh water for the cooking. You can use the cooking water in your final recipe. It has a lot of nutrients in it. :angel:
 
I often do a "bean marathon." I'll soak several kinds of beans (usually 2 or 3), separately. Then the next day I cook them (separately). Then I package them in zippies and freeze them. That way, when the urge to make something with chick peas or beans hits me, I have some in the freezer ready. Matter-of-fact, I have beans soaking tonight to cook tomorrow. If there aren't in the freezer, I'll do the "quick cooking" method.
 
I often do a "bean marathon." I'll soak several kinds of beans (usually 2 or 3), separately. Then the next day I cook them (separately). Then I package them in zippies and freeze them. That way, when the urge to make something with chick peas or beans hits me, I have some in the freezer ready. Matter-of-fact, I have beans soaking tonight to cook tomorrow. If there aren't in the freezer, I'll do the "quick cooking" method.

So often you hear folks state that they never soak their beans. I don't understand why they don't. It is not like it is a lot of work. Put the beans in a bowl, cover with water, walk away. Is it that hard to turn on a faucet? Or do they still have to prime the pump to get their water outside at the well? Aha! I know why. They have to think the day ahead. And that is a hard thing to do. :angel:
 
You can also do the whole shebang in the CP. I've done this and it turned out fine, though I can't remember my exact recipe. Looking through one of my fave slow cooker books, here's what is suggested: Rinse and drain the beans, add 4 cups water, and cook in the CP on low 8 hours. Add other ingredients, then cook for another 5 hours. You can also cook the dried beans in the CP on high for 5 hours with 6 cups water, stirring occasionally until tender, then add other stuff and cook some more.
 
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