Email to Cat      

Nana's Hearty Bean Soup

Source of Recipe

From "The Loving Kitchen" by LeeAnn Rice


Recipe Introduction

"I remember my NaNa putting together bags or jars of mixed dried beans as Christmas gifts. She added her Good Luck New Year's Soup recipe tied on with a pretty bow. I kept a bag of her soup mix and her recipe for about ten years just because NaNa had made it. I didn't make the soup until after she died—with fresh beans, of course. I put the beans from NaNa's mix in a glass jar and kept it on my kitchen counter so she was always in the kitchen with me. This is her recipe. I have found that grandmothers always know best."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 (16-ounce) bag mixed dried beans
â—¦ 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt, divided
â—¦ 2 quarts water
â—¦ 1 large smoked ham hock
â—¦ ½ cup barley
â—¦ 3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
â—¦ 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
â—¦ 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
â—¦ 1 large onion, chopped
â—¦ 3 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ Juice of 1 lemon
â—¦ 1 teaspoon chili powder
â—¦ ½ teaspoon ground cumin
â—¦ ½ teaspoon crushed dried thyme
â—¦ 1 teaspoon sugar
â—¦ ½ teaspoon black pepper
â—¦ ½ cup chopped fresh parsley


Recipe

Place the beans in a colander and rinse with cool water. Drain and transfer the beans to a large pot. Cover with water and add 1 tablespoon salt. Cover pot and place in the refrigerator to soak overnight. Drain the soaked beans and rinse in a colander.

Rinse out the pot and transfer the drained and rinsed beans back to the pot. Add 2 quarts water, the ham hock, and barley. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cover, leaving the lid off to the side so there is a little space for steam to escape. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 2 hours or until the beans are just about cooked. Remove the ham hock and set aside.

Add the celery, carrots, tomatoes with juices, onions, garlic, lemon juice, chili powder, cumin, thyme, sugar, and pepper, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. While the vegetables are cooking, remove the meat from the ham hock and return the meat to the soup. Discard the bones. Stir in the parsley right before serving.

Makes 8 servings