15-Bean Soup

[JanetGroene]

The pressure cooker thread mentioned a scrumptious recipe for 15-Bean Soup but I thought I'd start a new thread for my two-cents worth because I believe this recipe also appeared on another thread too. Some multi-bean soup mixes come with spices and stuff that (1) you may not like and (2) raise the cost beyond what you'd pay just for the mixture a oats, peas, beans and barley-O. Try creating your own bean-lentil-dried pea-grain groats mixtures for more variety. I also keep a container of mixed small pastas (like alphabets, stars, tiny shells). After rinsing and soaking the bean mixture, I add a tablespoon or two of the pasta for added color and interest. Keep them separate because the bean mixture needs sorting and washing while the pasta is added after soup comes to a boil. A little rice is also a good addition. If you're pressure cooking it, bring to a boil, add pasta, then lock the lid.

[zeehag]

jnet--have you found goyas bag of 16 bean soup beans?? is awesome -- the instructions ar e easy and it can be cooked with or without pressure --is excellent for low water usage situations. i will rinse hem and place into a pot and boil for 20 minutes, then let sit. when cool, i will toss that water and put wnough water to cover, and (bacon fat) and seasonings as desired or not and (ham) or not--can be turkey ham- whatever you like in your beansoups... i use menudo and pozole seasoning, hamhocks, oregano, caldo de tomate bouillon, and some other interesting things i found in barrios. fround the bean soup in th ebarrio as well..havent been able to find this one in our regular suprmarket chains. is goya. i donot know their location. their spices and flavorings ar e nice. make goood food.knorr makes the bouillon i use.

[JanetGroene]

On another thread, the Argentine Soup sounds OMG wonderful. Note that it contains refried beans, which are a wonderful way to thicken a potage.

[zeehag]

refried beans, traditional
day old beans, cooked and with the bean liquor in pan--into large skillet drop in lard. then add beans fry and mash simultaneously. add cheese--parmesan is close to the kind used... stir in. simmer for a while stirring to keep from crusting on pan.
smooth refritos have more lard. yummmmmmmmmm.
my alternative to smoothness:
beans, day old in their liquor
heat skillet dry
add beans and liquor and mash while they cook -- adding cheese as you stir. i will add parmesan and the 4 cheese mix found in many stores called mexican style 4 cheese--is shredded and works great-- will stick to pan more than will the "dakine" beans made by mom in law, and which will run ye to emergency room for cardiac bypass......
when i let my bean soup wait until next day for consumption, they do the thicken up naturally..... so are 3 or more ways to thicken bean soup-- depending on your vein wall and cardiac status.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by zeehag

refried beans ...

What is a refried bean; and why do they have to fry it twice?

[zeehag]

gord-- beans dont bbq well in mexico-they slide thru the bars of the grill... , so they have to mash em and throw em into a pan to make sure they reallllly done, and thickened up .. then they stuff em into a tortilla and add cheese wrap it up kinda like a wrap only more enclosed and call it a burrito. gooood cheapo meal..onions and salsa help it have variations in flavor.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by JanetGroene

On another thread, the Argentine Soup sounds OMG wonderful. Note that it contains refried beans, which are a wonderful way to thicken a potage.

Thanks Janet

Actually, the refried beans is a short cut I made up when I was figuring out more ways to use them. My recipe is based on a soup that was served in a small Argentinian restaurant in Rotterdam, Holland. The owner refused to give me the recipe so I had to reverse-engineer it, which took me much longer than I thought.

I'll post some more recipes soon
Nick.

[atoll]

this was a recipe that i learnt from vegan friends,first experinced it camping on the beach next to lake malawi.
another use for beans,delicious,espeasialy with fresh cooked home made bread.

Bean Paté
This recipe comes from The Complete Scoffer by Ronny. It is extremely easy to make and tastes great.Ingredients
1 tin (400g) cooked red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, crushed
juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp tomato puree or tomato sauce
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chives (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Either put everything in a food processor and whizz for a minute (you might need to add a little water if it's a bit sticky), or mash beans in a bowl with a potato masher then stir everything else in. That's it. Easy!
Notes
For a really smooth, meaty effect, leave out 1 tbsp oil, add in 2 Redwood rashers (diced and fried) and whizz til smooth. Yum!

[Bergovoy]

most beans i know will thicken up a soup on the next day...let hte soup cool, then reheat, and you have some thck shchnit... you can use it as a 'concentrate, to store, then just add a little more water while re heating...

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by atoll

this was a recipe that i learnt from vegan friends

brrrr.. vegans... don't show them the beef soup recipe I posted because they will probably faint when they read it :-))

The bean pate recipe sounds like a form of humus to me? I think I'll try it!

ciao!
Nick.