15 Bean Soup

15 Bean Soup

This is another soup that goes back to my early years of making soup.  The first time that I make a new dish, I always follow the recipe exactly, and that was the case with this 15 Bean Soup.  It was good, but I was not particularly fond of the seasoning packet.  It tasted extremely salty.   The soup was also a little too watery for my taste.  So, I knew the flavor packet had to go, and a prepared broth had to replace the water.  In October of 2015, I made some subtle changes to this recipe.  I now use both water and broth, and I added a half of a teaspoon of smoked paprika.  This soup is very low in fat and high in fiber, and it warms your innards.

---Enjoy

15 Bean Soup

1. In a pot, cover the beans water and soak over night (at least 8 hours).  
2. Drain the beans, return to the pot,  add 1 quart of broth, 1 quart of water and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
4. Add onions, Rotel (optional), chili powder, garlic, thyme, paprika and lemon juice.  Simmer for another 30 minutes.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. If the soup thickens too much, add broth to thin.  Yields approximately 3 quarts.

15 or so, these are the variety of  beans that are in this soup  Northern, Pinto, Large Lima, Blackeye, Garbanzo, Baby Lima, Green Split, Kidney, Cranberry, Small White, Pink, Small Red, Yellow Split, Lentil, Navy, White Kidney, Black Bean.

Ingredients 1 package (20 oz) dry 15 bean soup (discard flavor packet from the package) 1 lb low fat turkey Kielbasa sliced into 1/8" - 1/4" pieces 2 quarts low fat reduced sodium chicken broth. 1 cup onion, finely chopped 1 can 10 oz Rotel (optional) 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon chili powder               1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon thyme Juice of 1 lemon

Pinto Bean and Butternut Squash

Pinto Bean and Butternut Squash Soup

Fall is in the air.  This recipe dates back several years to when I first started making soups.  Even back then I was tweaking recipes that I had come across.  This recipe was spiced up with the addition of Rotel, chili powder and cumin.  Those were a great addition for a cool fall evening.  I have no idea where the original recipe came from, but this is my version.  I hope you like it.

---Enjoy

Pinto Bean and Butternut Squash Soup

1. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium high heat and add the onions and celery.  Saute until the onions are golden brown.  Remember, don't rush the onions.
2. Add garlic and dried pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes stirring often.
3. Add vegetable broth, pinto beans, diced tomatoes,butternut squash and oregano.  Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat, cover simmer until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer 3 cups of the soup to a smaller pot and puree with an immersion blender (if you do not have an immersion blender, let the 3 cups of soup cool and use a standard kitchen blender).
6. Return the puree to the soup and simmer until heated,
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Garlic Ingredients: 1 medium garlic head 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Directions: Method 1 Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Slice 1/4" off the top of the garlic bulb. Place in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until outside of garlic is lightly browned and garlic cloves are soft. When cool enough to touch, squeeze each clove to extract the softened garlic. Place in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Method 2 Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Peel each garlic clove. Place in a single layer in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes or until garlic is soft.

Ingredients 1 tablespoon Olive Oil 2 cups yellow onion, chopped 1 cup celery, chopped 4 cloves fire roasted garlic, minced 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth 2 cans pinto beans (15 oz sz) 1 can diced tomatoes (14 1/2 oz) 1 can Rotel (10 oz) optional 2 cups butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" pieces 1 teaspoon dried oregano 4 tablespoons basil, chopped 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon cumin Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Sweet Pepper Garlic Soup

Sweet Pepper Garlic Soup

As the weather gets warmer, it's time to start enjoying chilled soups.  This recipe is pretty straight forward and I have made no changes to it other than offering the optional use of tofu in place of the potato.  I like potatoes, and that makes one of us in our household.  This will be the first in a series of chilled soups which are new to me.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I have, so far.
---Enjoy

Sweet Pepper Garlic Soup

1. Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat; add potato (or tofu) bell peppers and broth.  Bring to a boil;.
2. reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes or until potato is easily pierced when tested with a fork.  
3. Remove from heat and cool completely.
4. Either place mixture in a blender or use an immersion blender to process until smooth.
5. Refrigerate until completely cool.
6. Place cottage cheese and yogurt into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.  
7. Set aside 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture.
8. Stir remaining cheese mixture into chilled broth mixture until well blended.  
9. Add black pepper stir well and top with reserved cheese.
10. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley sprigs and pepper strips

Ingredients 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup chopped onions 6 cloves garlic, chopped 1 cup cubed potato unpeeled or tofu I cup chopped red bell peppers 3 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth 1 cup low fat cottage cheese  2 tbs plain nonfat yogurt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper Flat leaf parsley for garnish Mixed pepper strips for garnish 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Hot Tamale Soup

Hot Tamale Soup

I thought that it might be time to try something a little fun.  I found this recipe in a cook book that Sharon and I compiled, but neither one of us have any recollection of it.  So, this may or may not be the first time I've ever made it, but who would know?  So let the Mariachi Band begin and enjoy this Tex-Mex marvel.
--Enjoy

Hot Tamale Soup

1. Heat a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium high heat.
2. Sweat the onion, bell pepper and garlic covered over low heat for about 20 minutes.
3. Increase heat to medium/high, add ground turkey and continue to cook until meat is brown and able to be broken up with a fork.
4. Add chili powder, cumin, cayenne and cinnamon.  Cook for about 1 minute.
5. Add broth and undrained tomatoes and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
6. Stir in tamale parts, beans and corn and simmer until heated through (about 5 minutes).
7. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
8. If soup is too thick for your liking, add broth or water to thin.
9. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cheddar cheese.

Tamales A tamale is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa, which is steamed or broiled in a leaf wrapper.  The wrapping is discarded before eating.    -Wikipedia

Ingredients 1 lb ground turkey 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 bell pepper, finely chopped 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 3 cups low fat, reduced sodium chicken broth 1 15 oz cans low sodium diced tomatoes 1 cans Rotel 2 jars tamales or frozen prepared tamales cut in pieces (about 16 oz) 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup frozen roasted corn shredded cheddar Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste