What's Cookin': Bean Soup

A few years ago Ben attended a party for a friend and had beans that he has been raving about. He wants me to recreate these Amazing Beans, but as I have not tasted them I don't know what I'm going for. He tries to give me little descriptions every now and then and tells me what needs to change when I make beans. He says they were "soupy", so the other night I made this pot of bean soup. He said it was delicious (and close) so now I need to write down the recipe before I forget it.

Bean Soup
1 lb dried beans
1/2 of a large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 C's worth of chopped carrots
2 ribs celery, chopped
6 strips bacon, chopped
6 oz ham, diced
8 cups of liquid (I used half home made chicken broth, half water)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt & Pepper to taste

Sort, rinse and soak the beans overnight. Drain.

In a (very) large pot, cook the bacon until crispy. Add the ham and all the veggies. Cook until onion is softened. Add beans, seasonings and liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 2- 2.5 hours, or until beans are done to your liking. Adjust salt & pepper as needed. Serve over rice if desired.

This pot made 5 servings for dinner, a serving for Ben's lunch, 5 servings for dinner the next night, another lunch serving... And I still have probably 2-3 servings left. Have I ever stated how much I love beans and how they can feed an army with just one pound? It's awesome.

And they were most excellent the next night. The flavors came together more while they sat and made it even tastier. I just stuck the whole pot full in the fridge and when I got home last night I pulled it out and put it on the stove. Easy peasy.

Happy Eating,