Perci (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} perci) wrote,@ 2007-12-31 13:19:00 |
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My Mom's Bean Soup
I've carried my mom's bean soup recipe, written on a large yet cutesy recipe card in her beautiful (Palmer method) handwriting, from life to life for more than 20 years. It's a little fragile, mostly because originally she folded the card in quarters to mail it to me; I finally had to glue it to another card. I suppose there are other mom-style bean soup recipes on other worn recipe cards that are just as good as this, but I don't know about any of those.
What I do know is that if, like me, you cannot face one more teaspoon of Something Smothered in Cream Sauce, one more bite of Bread Product Stuffed with 87 Cheeses, one more morsel of Sugar Covered Sugar Pie or crumb of Chocolate Covered Fudge or drop of Almond Liqueur with Candy Cane Syrup, then you, like me, should have this soup simmering in a pot on your stove right now.
Wash beans thoroughly and place in large kettle. Cover with water and add two tablespoons of salt. Soak overnight.
Drain.
Add 2 quarts of water, ham, onion, tomatoes, chili powder, and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.
Cook slowly for three hours or longer.
This stuff freezes really really well, by the way.
(Friends who want to try this without committing to 8 bags of dried beans can ask me to bring you a ziploc filled with all the beans you'll need the next time I see you, because whenever I have to buy a new round of beans, I do all the measuring at once. Seriously, ask.)
I've carried my mom's bean soup recipe, written on a large yet cutesy recipe card in her beautiful (Palmer method) handwriting, from life to life for more than 20 years. It's a little fragile, mostly because originally she folded the card in quarters to mail it to me; I finally had to glue it to another card. I suppose there are other mom-style bean soup recipes on other worn recipe cards that are just as good as this, but I don't know about any of those.
What I do know is that if, like me, you cannot face one more teaspoon of Something Smothered in Cream Sauce, one more bite of Bread Product Stuffed with 87 Cheeses, one more morsel of Sugar Covered Sugar Pie or crumb of Chocolate Covered Fudge or drop of Almond Liqueur with Candy Cane Syrup, then you, like me, should have this soup simmering in a pot on your stove right now.
1/2 cup barley
1/8 cup lentiles
1/3 cup lima beans (large or baby, doesn't matter)
1/3 cup pinto beans
1/3 cup navy beans
1/3 cup red or kidney beans
1/3 cup split peas
1/3 cup black eyed peas
1 large can tomatoes ("large" can be dictated by your taste; I use 14oz due to diet restrictions, but I think Mom uses 28oz; also I drain them, but you don't really have to.)
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 large onion, chopped (I use considerably less onion with no detrimental effects)
Salt and pepper to taste
Smoked ham butt or ham bone or diced ham or turkey ham (whatever quantity you like; I tend to use about half a pound or so of turkey ham.)
Wash beans thoroughly and place in large kettle. Cover with water and add two tablespoons of salt. Soak overnight.
Drain.
Add 2 quarts of water, ham, onion, tomatoes, chili powder, and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.
Cook slowly for three hours or longer.
This stuff freezes really really well, by the way.
(Friends who want to try this without committing to 8 bags of dried beans can ask me to bring you a ziploc filled with all the beans you'll need the next time I see you, because whenever I have to buy a new round of beans, I do all the measuring at once. Seriously, ask.)
