Magic* National Treasure Bean Soup
Steaming bowl of beans in hand, The Husband turned to me and said,
“These are a national treasure.” Whether you choose pinto, navy
or great northern beans this easy recipe will earn you raves.
It’s a highly nutritional dish that fits most any budget. Use a left
over ham bone or omit meat ingredients for a totally vegetarian dish.
1 pound dry pinto, navy or great northern beans
2 – 3 bay leaves
4 – 6 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
½ bunch of parsley – about 1 cup, stalks and all (I dice for the crockpot)
2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
1 medium yellow onion
4 – 8 ounces pork “ends and pieces”
¼ cup apple cider vinegar (I omit-I don't feel it needs it)
Salt 1 teaspoon
1 sweet onion
Hot sauce (I prefer “Crystal Sauce”)
Pick through the dry beans for stones. Place the beans in a Dutch oven,
cover with fresh cold water and soak for 8 hours.
In a section of cheese cloth place bay leaves, pepper corns, garlic clove
and the parsley. There is no need to peel the garlic. You may need to fold
or wad the parsley to make a nice bundle. Fold the sides of the cheese cloth
over the seasonings and roll up. Secure your bundle with a clean cotton string.
Tip: if you’ll start with the bay leaves and work in order, the pepper corns
won’t roll away.
Wash the carrots, celery and yellow onion. No need to peel, these will be
removed when the beans have cooked. No need to chop, just break the vegetables
that are too long to fit easily into the Dutch oven.
Place the carrots, celery, yellow onion, seasoning bag and pork in the bottom
of a Dutch oven or slow cooker. Drizzle the olive oil on top. Drain and rinse
the beans and add them to the pot. Cover with fresh cold water to a scant inch
above the beans. On a stove top, turn the heat on high. Without allowing the
pot to come to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to a slow simmer when the
water is about to boil. Place lid on top, slightly askew to vent some steam
and cook until tender; between 3 and 6 hours depending on the simmer. In a
crock pot, cook on low for 10 – 12 hours until tender and creamy.
If you’re serving the beans over rice, approximately 30 minutes before the beans
are finished, prepare according to package directions. Peel and chop the sweet
onion.
When the beans are cooked, remove the seasoning bag and vegetables. Add salt if
you like. Add ¼ cup of vinegar wait a minute or two, taste and adjust to your
liking.
Serve the beans with or without the rice. Garnish with a hand full of sweet onion
and a few dashes of Crystal Sauce.
These beans taste even better the following day
Tip: Do not add salt or vinegar to your beans until they have finished cooking.
Acidic ingredients cause bean skins to become tough during cooking.
*Magic: this recipe is exclusive to I Love You Recipes.
