If you’ve never had a nice 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 navy beans
½ cup dried small kidney beans
½ cup dried small beans
1 package onion soup mix
1 tablespoon garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup green onions, chopped
2 (8-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 package powdered turkey sauce mix
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon margarine or olive oil
½ teaspoon crushed red bell peppers (optional)
Salt to taste (don’t overdo it)
Optional:
3-4 smoked turkey necks or smoked neck bones or chopped smoked ham hocks
Your choice of bread
Your choice of rice
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. Get a large bowl and gather the four different beans. Then add water to the top of the bowl. Place a lid or plate to cover the beans. Leave the beans covered to soak overnight.
2. The next day, remove the water from the beans that have been soaked overnight and rinse them. Place the beans in a large pot. Next, fill the pot with water to cover the beans, at least an inch above the beans. Bring the beans to a full boil and reduce the heat to medium boil for an hour. Add water as needed until tender. Remember to keep the water about an inch above the top of the beans at all times.
(Optional: Afterward, place the beans to come to a boil. In another large pot, place the smoked meat of your choice in water to boil for approximately 20 minutes. After the meat comes to a boil, pour in the boiling water and place the meat in the pot with the beans). Continue boiling them together.
3. In a saucepan, place the chopped onion, garlic, and green onion together. Lightly fry the onions and garlic (do not burn) and put them in the pot with the beans. Also, add the onion soup mix, chicken broth, turkey sauce mix, soy sauce, and black pepper. Salt to taste, if necessary.
4. Let the beans simmer slowly after an hour of medium boil until 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 mushy beans.
Serve the beans with bread or rice or both. Now that you’ve made your four-bean soup, you’re sure to be ready to make most of your soups with the basic ingredients above.