Best Bean Soup I've Ever Made

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Ok, I know, bean soup is a very easy soup to make. But you have to understand, me being who I am, I often overcomplicate things. I'm always experimenting. For this soup, I kept it very simple and it came out way good. So, I'm just putting in this recipe to remind everyone how good food can be, without a lot of fuss. Enjoy.

Ingredients: (All Beans were purchased pre-cooked from the supermarket)
48 oz. pinto beans
15 oz. black beans
15 oz. dark red kidney beans
1 large onion, rough dice
1 very good hot dog, quartered and sliced
8 strips of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup water
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper.

Fry the bacon, until half done (this isn't supposed to be crispy bacon), add the onion and pepper. When the onion is just beginning to soften, add the beans. let simmer for ten minutes. Add the salt, water, and milk. Simmer for thirty minutes to let the flavors distribute. Taste, correct the seasonings, and serve.

Like I said, this was a very simple bean soup. And it was very tasty. The leftover beans can now be used to make baked beans, or refried beans, or a really good batch of chili, or put into some other kind of soup, used for lunches at work. I might even talk myself into serving up a bowl for a late night snack, with some good cheddar grated over the top.

Occasionally, just once in a great while, life doesn't have to be so complicated. I have too many other things to complicate my days and nights right now.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

[GotGarlic]

That sounds great, Chief, and very easy to make a big batch. I love bean with bacon soup. I don't know why it never occurred to me to make it at home.

[FoodieFanatic]

Soup is the greatest thing and it is almost soup season (Hooray!). I make Black Bean soup, even going so far as soaking the beans. Your recipe, Chief, sounds really good! I may have to give it try but I'll wait until it isn't 95 degrees outside! I'm so ready for rain.

[Cheryl J]

Sounds good, Chief. I love bean soups. Sometimes I'll remove some of the beans and mash them, then add back in for a little thicker texture.

[FoodieFanatic]

I do that as well. Gives a nice texture to the soup.

[PrincessFiona60]

Love Bean Soup!!! Come on cold weather!!!

[FoodieFanatic]

Originally Posted by PrincessFiona60

Love Bean Soup!!! Come on cold weather!!!

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.

[tinlizzie]

Originally Posted by Chief Longwind Of The North

Ok, I know, bean soup is a very easy soup to make. But you have to understand, me being who I am, I often overcomplicate things. I'm always experimenting. For this soup, I kept it very simple and it came out way good. So, I'm just putting in this recipe to remind everyone how good food can be, without a lot of fuss. Enjoy.

Ingredients: (All Beans were purchased pre-cooked from the supermarket)
48 oz. pinto beans
15 oz. black beans
15 oz. dark red kidney beans
1 large onion, rough dice
1 very good hot dog, quartered and sliced
8 strips of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup water
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper.

Fry the bacon, until half done (this isn't supposed to be crispy bacon), add the onion and pepper. When the onion is just beginning to soften, add the beans. let simmer for ten minutes. Add the salt, water, and milk. Simmer for thirty minutes to let the flavors distribute. Taste, correct the seasonings, and serve.

Like I said, this was a very simple bean soup. And it was very tasty. The leftover beans can now be used to make baked beans, or refried beans, or a really good batch of chili, or put into some other kind of soup, used for lunches at work. I might even talk myself into serving up a bowl for a late night snack, with some good cheddar grated over the top.

Occasionally, just once in a great while, life doesn't have to be so complicated. I have too many other things to complicate my days and nights right now.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Thanks, Chief, for another good, usable recipe. A couple of questions: your note of pre-cooked means canned beans, right? I've heard that canned beans are equal in every way to dried beans cooked in the kitchen. I've also heard that people rinse and drain cooked beans before adding them to a recipe. When I used canned beans in chili, for example, I include the liquid. Are the beans in this recipe rinsed and drained? Does draining affect the saltiness? And is leftover soup freezable in zip baggies? Thank you for sharing your expertise with us.

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Originally Posted by tinlizzie

Thanks, Chief, for another good, usable recipe. A couple of questions: your note of pre-cooked means canned beans, right? I've heard that canned beans are equal in every way to dried beans cooked in the kitchen. I've also heard that people rinse and drain cooked beans before adding them to a recipe. When I used canned beans in chili, for example, I include the liquid. Are the beans in this recipe rinsed and drained? Does draining affect the saltiness? And is leftover soup freezable in zip baggies? Thank you for sharing your expertise with us.

Draining and rinsing does reduce the salt content of the beans. But I find the dissolved soluble fiber in the can liquor desirable, and that same liquid has flavor. for soup, or chili, I just dump it in. If I'm using the beans for something like three-bean salad, or as a side dish, I drain and rinse. And yes, canned beans are pretty much the same in flavor and texture as home-cooked bans.

That being said, I much prefer to cook other legumes, such as split peas, and lentils from scratch. The only thing with canned beans is that if you get cheap brands, sometimes they can pick up a metallic flavor. Factory cooked beans that have been bottled have never given me an off flavor.

Dried beans are great because they are easy to store, and are more condensed in space than are their canned cousins. They are also lightler in weight. A bin full of dried legumes is a lot more food than is a bin full of canned, or bottled legumes.

As for the saltiness of canned beans, simply add less salt when seasoning the pot. You can also purchase canned and bottle beans that are salt free.

Seeeeeeya; chief Longwind of the North

[Lance Bushrod]

I buy the low sodium Bush beans but keep dried in the pantry because I love doing the process and feels like I'd doing something health. lol

What do you consider a good hot dog? I find them all too salty and like them best grilled over charcoal.

[Addie]

Butter beans and ham hocks. Very comforting on a cold winter's night.

[Lance Bushrod]

Originally Posted by Addie

Butter beans and ham hocks. Very comforting on a cold winter's night.

When I lived in WV I could get #300 cans of butter beans, now I'm lucky to find a #3 can and when I do the are way over a dollar; beans, ramps, ham hocks and corn bread were a favorite. The way i used to do it was like soup.

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Originally Posted by Lance Bushrod

I buy the low sodium Bush beans but keep dried in the pantry because I love doing the process and feels like I'd doing something health. lol

What do you consider a good hot dog? I find them all too salty and like them best grilled over charcoal.

I found a brand out of Wisconsin call Cher-Make. They are encased in a natural casing, and have a light, smoky flavor that isn't nearly as salty as most. The flavor is very good. They have an online presence. I believe they can be ordered. They're carried at one of our local supermarkets. They also make other kinds of sausages and products as well.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

[Addie]

My second husband was a dyed in the wool WV hillbilly. Right down to clog dancing. Oh how he loved his beans and ham hocks. I once called his mother and asked her about some of his favorite dishes. Got out my JOC and tried to find as many of them as I could. It is true. The way to a man's heart, is through his stomach.

[tinlizzie]

Thank you, Chief. I appreciate your clear and thorough answers.
Bean Appetit!

[Addie]

Originally Posted by Chief Longwind Of The North

I found a brand out of Wisconsin call Cher-Make. They are encased in a natural casing, and have a light, smoky flavor that isn't nearly as salty as most. The flavor is very good. They have an online presence. I believe they can be ordered. They're carried at one of our local supermarkets. They also make other kinds of sausages and products as well.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

We have a plant here just four or less minutes away from where I live. Kayem's. There are two sides to their plant. Strictly Kosher and non Kosher. They make hot dogs that are Kosher. I always buy a ten pound box. Then I have to put most of them in the freezer so I won't eat them all at once.

[CWS4322]

I kinda did a similar take on this...but I started with two fresh pork hocks. I had been wanting to try "stove top smoking" so I lined a SS wok that I got at the Thrift Store with foil, put some pecan wood in the bottom, lit that, put a rack on top and put 2 fresh pork hocks that I seasoned with S&P and chipolte (sp) pepper. Made sure top was sealed tightly, and let it smoke away for about 25 minutes. In the meantime, I put chopped up parsnips, fresh thyme, garlic, onion, carrots, and more seasonings in a stock pot. Dug out some chicken chipolte sausage out of the freezer, tossed that in. Added beef stock. And then tossed the smoked hocks in. Cooked that for about 2 hours until the meat fell off the bones. Removed the bones, added chickpeas, cabbage, and some sauerkraut, a bit of fish sauce, a jar of tomatoes from the garden. Adjusted the seasoning. Added some grated lemon zest. It was delish. I was really happy with the stove top smoking experiment. Meant to add a vanilla bean but forgot that. I did have to adjust the foil on the outside of the pan...smoke was leaking out. Definitely want to make sure that there is a tight seal when you do this.

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Originally Posted by CWS4322

I kinda did a similar take on this...but I started with two fresh pork hocks. I had been wanting to try "stove top smoking" so I lined a SS wok that I got at the Thrift Store with foil, put some pecan wood in the bottom, lit that, put a rack on top and put 2 fresh pork hocks that I seasoned with S&P and chipolte (sp) pepper. Made sure top was sealed tightly, and let it smoke away for about 25 minutes. In the meantime, I put chopped up parsnips, fresh thyme, garlic, onion, carrots, and more seasonings in a stock pot. Dug out some chicken chipolte sausage out of the freezer, tossed that in. Added beef stock. And then tossed the smoked hocks in. Cooked that for about 2 hours until the meat fell off the bones. Removed the bones, added chickpeas, cabbage, and some sauerkraut, a bit of fish sauce, a jar of tomatoes from the garden. Adjusted the seasoning. Added some grated lemon zest. It was delish. I was really happy with the stove top smoking experiment. Meant to add a vanilla bean but forgot that. I did have to adjust the foil on the outside of the pan...smoke was leaking out. Definitely want to make sure that there is a tight seal when you do this.

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

Seeeeya Chief Longwind of the North

[rodentraiser]

OK, so I have to ask. If we're starting with beans right out of the bag, then they have to soak overnight, right?

Do you have any recommendations about doing this in the crock pot? I make refried beans in my crockpot by adding 8 cups of chicken broth to 16oz of pinto beans (along with some spices and stuff) and cooking on high for about 8 hours. The beans turn brown and the broth gets thick and brothy like at the bottom. So I'm wondering if I could use that instead of milk and water and just add the other beans?

Oh, and just to clarify, I don't soak the pinto beans overnight if I'm putting them in the crock pot for 8 hours and they come out very tender.

[GotGarlic]

rodentraiser, I've used that method to make split-pea soup, so I think if you substitute the ingredients and use dry beans, it will work fine in the slow cooker.

You need to pre-soak for cooking beans the traditional way. You can soak overnight or you can bring water to a boil, put the beans in, cover and turn off the heat, and soak for an hour to get the same result.