If you’ve never had a good bowl of hearty soup before, you’re missing out on a treat. It is very simple and easy to do. A good-tasting soup can be eaten at any time of the year, especially in winter. Be prepared by having the ingredients available ahead of time or on hand. Most ingredients can be stored on the shelf until ready to use, such as dry, canned, and packaged items.
Ingredients:
½ cup dried black beans
½ cup dried white beans
½ cup dried small kidney beans
½ cup dried small kidney beans
1 package onion soup mix
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 medium onion chopped
½ cup chopped green onions
2 (8-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 packet turkey gravy mix powder
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon margarine or olive oil
½ teaspoon crushed red peppers (optional)
Salt to taste (do not overdo it)
Optional:
3 – 4 chopped smoked turkey necks or smoked neck bones or smoked ham knuckles
your choice of bread
Rice of your choice
If you’re watching your salt intake, use low-sodium broth and pre-boil the smoked meat for 20 minutes to remove some of the salt content.
Servings: You should get a minimum of 4 servings or more, depending on your appetite, from this recipe.
Addresses:
1. Start this recipe the night before. Take a large bowl and gather the four different beans. Then add water to the top of the container. Place a lid or plate to cover the beans. Let the beans soak covered overnight.
2. The next day, remove the water from the beans that have been soaking overnight and rinse them. Place the beans in a large pot. Then fill the pot with water to cover the beans, at least one inch above the beans. Bring the beans to a boil and reduce the heat to a medium boil for one hour. Add water as needed until just tender. Remember to keep the water about an inch above the top of the beans at all times.
(Optional: Next, place the beans to begin to boil. In another large pot, place the smoked meat of your choice in water to boil for approximately 20 minutes. After the meat boils, pour the boiling water and place the meat in the pot with the beans). Continue to boil them together.
3. In a saucepan, place the chopped onions, garlic, and green onions together. Lightly sauté the onion and garlic (do not burn) and put them in the pot with the beans. Also, add onion soup mix, chicken broth, turkey powder gravy mix, soy sauce, and black pepper. Salt to taste, if necessary.
4. Let the beans simmer, slowly after an hour of medium boil, until the beans and meat are tender.
Special Note: Do not stir frequently. You can fold them several times to allow the spices to pass through and prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. If you stir frequently, you may have musky beans.
Serve the beans with bread or rice or both. Now that you’ve made your four-bean soup, you’re probably ready to make most soups with the basic ingredients listed above.
