niki's favorite bean soup

[niki]

i always do that..soaking beans cuts the cooking time in half and the beans retain more of the protein and nutrients...and you're absolutely right about rinsing and soaking helping the gas....people should make sure that they really cook the beans until nice and soft also to help them digest them.............i just love beans..i posted on the discussion board "beans..they're what's for lunch AND dinner"..i love to eat them? AND they're good for me?........this just keeps getting better and better..niki

[Queenie]

I'm bringing this to the top of the list for Michelle -

Try the spices in this soup, Michelle - it is a wonderful blend!  Each and every time that I make this John tells me, "I would PAY for this soup!!". 

Carolyn

[niki]

I'm bringing this to the top of the list for Michelle -

Try the spices in this soup, Michelle - it is a wonderful blend!  Each and every time that I make this John tells me, "I would PAY for this soup!!".   :)

Carolyn

  that's GREAT, carolyn....i never knew that john says that and i didn't realize that you make this........wow, what a compliment...
  you got that right, that i don't measure spices.......i use loads and the spices i add to this soup are my classic blend...i buy them in BIG containers and use them for most of the soups i make.........you're absolutely right that you CAN'T go wrong.......niki     

[Queenie]

Yes, Niki - I think it's one of our favorites.  Last time I made it, I put in some very lean beef - I cut it into small pieces and sauteed it (on high) first, then started adding everything else.  It was different than the original, but still EXCELLENT!!

I think I will go put some beans on (I usually do the "fast" method of soaking) - that way I'll have bean soup ready for tomorrow.  I do soak the black beans separately - the water turns so dark that I don't want it to discolor the other beans.  I don't really know if they WILL discolor the other beans, it just seems like they would.

Carolyn

[margo]

i've been eating canned beans since my husband is not here...it's like a little vacation for me.  I can spike them up pretty good.  But when husband gets back, i'll go back to the dried beans because it's more economical, especially for two healthy eaters like us!

God bless and Niki..this soup sounds great.  I purchased a bag of mixed dried beans, but i've been sort of afraid to use them.  I'll use your recipe and fix them over the weekend, Lord willing.

Good night!
margo

[niki]

just be careful, margo, that there isn't anything in there that's not ldl allowable....the only combo i've ever seen is the one goya packages and that has barley in it.......in that recipe, i mix the beans myself to get just the beans i want....and still my favorites are cannelini, the small red beans and black ones.........niki
 

[abundantlyblessed]

Thanks Carolyn, I printed it out!!! 

Michele, who is very serious!

[snowbirdie]

Hi Niki
    Made this soup today. Wow was it ever good. I didn't think it would be with the tomatoes in it. It was so good. I made a hugh pot and will freeze some and eat some. Thanks
                  Judie

[niki]

Hi Niki
     Made this soup today. Wow was it ever good. I didn't think it would be with the tomatoes in it. It was so good. I made a hugh pot and will freeze some and eat some. Thanks
                   Judie

  THANK YOU......that's so nice of you to say so...i don't have a lot of recipes on the boards, but most of what i post are family recipes or the stuff i make ALL THE TIME.....look for some others.....look for my lentil soup recipe....i use beef broth instead of chicken and it has kind of an onion soup taste.........it's GREAT when you don't like beans that much(to break you into them).........niki 

[snowbirdie]

Hi Niki
    OH I love beans.  I had my crockpot clear full to the top. I ate some,I froze some and a big container is out on the deck. It is cold out and it makes an extra fridge. It won't last long out there cause in a few hours it will be breakfast and I can eat some more beans!  Judie
 

P.S.  I offered Kris some bean soup to take home and she said yuk I don't like that kind. She didn't even taste it. She will be sorry cause I will eat it all!

[niki]

Hi Niki
     OH I love beans.  I had my crockpot clear full to the top. I ate some,I froze some and a big container is out on the deck. It is cold out and it makes an extra fridge. It won't last long out there cause in a few hours it will be breakfast and I can eat some more beans!   Judie

P.S.  I offered Kris some bean soup to take home and she said yuk I don't like that kind. She didn't even taste it. She will be sorry cause I will eat it all!

  NOTHING like it...a big bowl of hot bean soup.....NOT diet food....my mother would have LOVED let's do lunch....when she dieted, she DIDN'T eat beans because she believed them to be fattening.....to have known that she could've eaten ALL the beans she wanted AND lose weight would've thrilled her................
  i hereby, by the power vested in me as bean queen appoint you to the board of directors of the O.P.C.B.(organization for the promotion of the consumption of beans)....
                                        signed,
                                  the bean queen   

[margo]

omigoodness Niki...

you're right...i looked at the bag of mixed beans and i see little barley and rice looking things in there!!  Thank God...i've had that bag in the pantry since i began LDL 6 months ago or so and for some strange reason i could not bring myself to prepare them.....and now i am so glad i didn't eat them....i guess i would have seen the barley in there (and boy do i HATE barley)...maybe i did sort of sense it in there and was turned off...or maybe (probably more likely) my FULL of WONDER God  was protecting me!  Hurray...

THanks again Niki....i'll give those beans to my neighbor...along with a big jar of peanut butter i found in the back of the pantry as well...(i was thinking about keeping the peanut butter in case of emergencies)...

God bless...
margo

[niki]

omigoodness Niki...you're right...i looked at the bag of mixed beans and i see little barley and rice looking things in there!! 

i was thinking about keeping the peanut butter in case of emergencies..

  you definitely would have seen it once you opened the bag....
  i keep loads of peanut butter in the house..i buy it whenever i see it on sale....the kids eat it and exactly what you said is true...peanut butter is great food in a jar in case of an emergency..i'm not talking let's do lunch here, guys...i'm talking about the supplies we have in case of lost power or some other catastrophic event........i also have a supply of canned milk..canned beans..etc...........niki

[snowbirdie]

Hi Niki,
    We had some of that soup I made yesterday for breakfast today. Only 1 thing I added a can of corn.  So good!    judie

[niki]

Yes, Niki - I think it's one of our favorites.  Last time I made it, I put in some very lean beef - I cut it into small pieces and sauteed it (on high) first, then started adding everything else.  It was different than the original, but still EXCELLENT!!

  and i can't believe when you wrote this that i didn't think of mentioning to you that i also put meatballs in this soup.....niki 

[Queenie]

Yes, Niki - I think it's one of our favorites.  Last time I made it, I put in some very lean beef - I cut it into small pieces and sauteed it (on high) first, then started adding everything else.  It was different than the original, but still EXCELLENT!!

  and i can't believe when you wrote this that i didn't think of mentioning to you that i also put meatballs in this soup.....niki 

hahaha!!  That's funny!!!  Amazing that we sometimes don't remember things until something jogs our memory!! 

Carolyn

[Queenie]

........i also have a supply of canned milk..canned beans..etc...........niki

Ahhhhhh - just remember to have a manual can opener!! 

When I was first married, we lost power & I figured that I'd just open a can of something and heat it over sterno - when I went to open the can, I realized that all we had was an electric can opener.  We went out to dinner that night.  Ever since then, all I've ever used is a manual can opener. 

Funny!!

Carolyn

[EnJae]

Haha! Funny, Carolyn.

I haven't had an electric can opener in 25 yrs. Don't know that I'd even know how to work one. lol
When I was a kid I watched both of my fathers use knives to open cans when out camping. I've never learned that method.

[niki]

  Ever since then, all I've ever used is a manual can opener. 

  i think i got one the FIRST time i got married....whenever it died, that was the end of that...i have a good manual one that my mother gave me and my mother's been dead almost 20 years...the one i have is probably 25 years old......i've been saying i was going to buy another one just to have it around and maybe that's what i'll do SOONER than later.................niki   

[Queenie]

I had one that I used for more than 20 years - then this past summer I bought one (made by Kitchenaid) that was pink and some of the profits went to breast cancer research... I'll be buying a new one soon - this one wasn't NEARLY the quality of the one that I had for so many years, so it'll be back to the same kind that I used to use...

Carolyn