15 Bean and Ham Soup!

 

 

 This "15 Bean and Ham Soup" is just full of good flavor!  This is a soup that is not only very tasty, but it's also very filling and good for you.  Beans are full of fiber, antioxidants and protein!   Some of you might have seen the bag of '15 Bean Soup mix' in your grocery store along with the other beans, but never really knew what to do with them.   It is an odd assortment of beans, some of which you might never have even heard of.  However, when you cook them long and slow in a soup along with other seasonings, they all sort of take on the those flavors and taste wonderful.  

 

Here is what you will need for this delicious soup:

 

1 pkg. 15 bean soup mix, with ham flavoring packet

1 (15 oz. ) can diced tomatoes

1 medium sweet onion, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

8 cups water

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. salt

2 Knorr Chicken bullion cubes

1 Tbs. bacon drippings

dash of Tabasco sauce to taste (optional)

2 cups diced country ham or regular cooked ham

 

 



For those not familiar, this is what a 15 Bean Soup Mix looks like, make sure it has the seasoning packet!  This is an odd brand, because I bought it at a farmers market sort of place, but you can buy any brand at your grocery. 

 

 



Place the beans in a colander and rinse them well.  Pick through for any rocks, occasionally dried beans have a rock or two in them.  Buy the best grade of beans and they are less likely to have rocks and dirt in them.    Place them in a large soup pot and cover with water about an inch over the beans.  Place on the stove on medium high heat and cover.   Bring to a boil and boil for about 1 minute or two.  Turn off, and carefully pour back in your colander to drain.   This serves two purposes.  It's a good way to make sure the beans are very clean and it takes some of the undesirable side effects of beans out of the mix...so to speak...lol!   When you mix 15 kinds of beans up in one soup, it's a good idea!!! 

 

Place the beans back in the pot with all of the ingredients except the diced ham.   Bring to a boil, then decrease heat to medium low and cook covered for about 2 hours.   Check them periodically to be sure they have enough water.  

 

After 2 hours, stir and add the chopped ham.  I used country ham, because it makes all things better.  It's a Kentucky thing!  I know country ham is not available for many of you and any good cooked ham will work also.  The country ham is very salty so I didn't need any additional salt, if you use regular ham, taste for seasoning before serving and you might want to add some salt.

 

 Return to a medium low heat and cook for an additional 2 hours or until the beans are all tender and the broth is thickened slightly.  The longer you cook, the thicker the broth will be. This is really good served with Cornbread Hoe Cakes,  Aunt Vel's Sour Cream Cornbread,  or  Cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread!

 

***Slow Cooker Directions:   Layer the beans, onion, celery, seasonings, tomatoes, and 7 cups of water in a slow cooker.  Layer the ham on top.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  Stir and turn the heat to high and cook for an additional hour or two to thicken.  This method does not produce a soup that thickens as much as the stove top method, but it still tastes wonderful and it's nice to come home to after a long day! 

 





Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili!

 

  When that first chill gets in the air here in southern Kentucky, I start to think about things like this "White Chicken Chili"!   I usually make this on the stove top, but this is a great recipe to just throw in the slow cooker and forget it until time to eat also.  The great thing is that you probably already have the ingredients on hand.  Here is what you will need for this:


4 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
1 medium sweet onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)

2 cans white beans (navy or great northern)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

 2 tsp. cumin 

 1 tsp. oregano

pinch of cayenne pepper

3 Knorr chicken bouillon cubes (if you use another brand of the small square ones use about 6)***

5-6 cups water (depending how thick you like it)

1/4 cup chopped jalapenos (can substitute a small can of mild green chilies if you don't like too much heat)

dash of hot sauce to taste (I use Tabasco, but this is optional)

8 oz. cream cheese

2 cups shredded Monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese

 

Garnishes

green onions, chopped

Monterrey Jack and Cheddar cheeses

jalapeno pepper rings

 

***you can substitute 6 cups of chicken broth for the water and bullion cubes if desired

 

 

Combine all of the ingredients in the slow cooker, except the cream cheese and Monterrey Jack or pepper jack cheeses.   Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 5 to 6 hours. 

 

The last hour add the cream cheese, cubed and the 2 cups Monterrey Jack or pepper jack cheese.  Stir about halfway through just to blend as it melts.  

 

Serve with the garnishes of your choice!  This is great with tortilla chips or Frito Scoops!

 

 

 



Pasta Fagioli...a delicious Italian soup just like Olive Garden!

I love Italian food, next to just good southern food, it's probably my favorite to both cook and eat.  Unfortunately, in our city, which is actually very diverse to be in southern Kentucky, we lack what I would call good authentic Italian restaurants...you know those owned and ran by Italians.   We do have Olive Garden, which I realize is not what you would call authentic Italian, but I still really love it.   However, my family does not love it.  My husband and my son, when he lived at home, didn't like to eat there.  The only time I ate there was with my co-workers.  We usually went at lunchtime and we loved to get their unlimited soup and salad special.  The pasta fagioli was always a favorite.  I actually get cravings for this soup.  So, one day I decided to replicate it at home. 

 There were some copycat recipes on the internet and I just started experimenting with them and adapted them until I think I got it down.   The really funny thing is, my husband loves this pasta fagioli that I make at home, but says he doesn't like it at Olive Garden...makes no sense to me, but I will tell you what I think is the key difference as I go through the steps of making it.

I made this batch in the slow cooker, but you can make it just as easily in a dutch oven or soup pot on the stove.   I also used ground beef, but if you like a little more spice you can use  half ground beef and half Italian sausage.  

 Here is what you will need:

1 1/2 - 2 lb. ground chuck

1 20 oz. jar of Spaghetti sauce ( I used Ragu Basil and Sundried Tomato, which is so good in this)

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning

4 beef bullion cubes

1 medium onion diced

1 Tbs. minced garlic

2 cups sliced celery (about 4 large stalks)

2 cups carrots cut in matchstick pieces or diced (about 4 carrots)

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil  (or 2 tsp. dried)

1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano  (or 2 tsp. dried)

1 15 oz. can white beans (Great Northern or Cannellini)

1 15 oz can light red kidney beans

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2 Tbs. brown sugar (this is the secret ingredient I add that Olive Garden probably doesn't)

dash of Tabasco (optional, leave it out if you don't like a little heat)

6 cups of water

8 oz. ditalini pasta (can use elbow macaroni if you can't get the ditalini, Bertolli makes a ditalini pasta)

Shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese for garnish

Brown the ground beef (ground beef and Italian sausage, onion and  minced garlic in a skillet.  Drain any excess grease.

Slice the celery and cut the carrots into matchsticks.  You can purchase the carrots already cut like this if you short on time.

Place the ground beef in the slow cooker you have sprayed with nonstick spray for easier cleanup.  Place the vegetables over the beef.

Add the spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, beans, all of the herbs and seasonings to the slow cooker and give it a stir.   Add the bullion cubes and additional water and stir again.  Set for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.  You won't need to do anything until the time is up.  Prepare your pasta according the package directions minus 1 minute of cooking.   Drain it and either add it to the soup or place 1/2 cup in a soup bowl and pour the hot soup over it.   I like to serve it like this because the pasta stays al dente.  With the left overs, I just add the remainder of the pasta to the soup  and mix to store in the refrigerator.

I like to sprinkle the top of the soup with shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese and serve with hot bread sticks.

  

Cooking tip:  I add brown sugar to this and to most any Italian red sauce I cook I add just a pinch of brown sugar or white sugar.  It sort of cuts the tartness of the tomato sauce and I think it's why my husband and son like my Italian food better than some others they have eaten.  It's not all that noticeable to anyone who doesn't know it, but you can tell when it's left out.