The Soup Kitchen

[boedicca]

Today is a perfect day to make a big pot of white bean and ham soup.

I acquired four gorgeous smoked ham shanks at the butcher's; and am now quick soaking three pounds of small white beans. I expect to have a triple batch of soup ready by 6pmish - with a pan of cornbread to accompany it.

Recipe:

- 1 lb. dried small white beans (soak over night or quick soak)
- 1.5 - 2lbs ham shank
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 ribs of celery
- bay leaf
- parsley
- herbes de provence
- salt
- pepper
- tabasco sauce
- 8 cups of water


-Cook ham shanks in 8 cups of water for an hour to an hour an a half. Add beans, diced vegetables and herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 2 to 3 hours. Remove ham shanks. Debone and shred meat. Add meat back to the pot. Heat, serve.

Garnish with a dash of tabasco sauce for a spicier version.

Some people put some of the soup through a food mill to make a thicker broth. I prefer to leave out that step.

 

[JBeukema]

Free soup for the revolution?

 

[Midnight Marauder]

Kone bread! YUM!

 

[boedicca]

It's a great American tradition, fo shizzle.

 

[Care4all]

Today is a perfect day to make a big pot of white bean and ham soup.

I acquired four gorgeous smoked ham shanks at the butcher's; and am now quick soaking three pounds of small white beans. I expect to have a triple batch of soup ready by 6pmish - with a pan of cornbread to accompany it.

Recipe:

- 1 lb. dried small white beans (soak over night or quick soak)
- 1.5 - 2lbs ham shank
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 ribs of celery
- bay leaf
- parsley
- herbes de provence
- salt
- pepper
- tabasco sauce
- 8 cups of water


-Cook ham shanks in 8 cups of water for an hour to an hour an a half. Add beans, diced vegetables and herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 2 to 3 hours. Remove ham shanks. Debone and shred meat. Add meat back to the pot. Heat, serve.

Garnish with a dash of tabasco sauce for a spicier version.

Some people put some of the soup through a food mill to make a thicker broth. I prefer to leave out that step.

DELICIOUS! my recipe is the same, only i sometimes add a can of diced tomatoes...

do you use white or yellow corn meal for the cornbread? also do you use sugar or not, in the cornbread?

 

[boedicca]

Free soup for the revolution?

Nope. Soup for the family.

Much of it will be frozen in individual servings and delivered to Mom and Dad. Mom has some serious health issues; so it helps getting dinner together easier for Dad (as the caregiver) to have some good homemade food in the freezer.

 

[boedicca]

DELICIOUS! my recipe is the same, only i sometimes add a can of diced tomatoes...

do you use white or yellow corn meal for the cornbread? also do you use sugar or not, in the cornbread?

Tomatoes are an excellent idea!

Today I am using yellow corn meal (and I vouch that the more expensive organic version is definitely worth it - much better flavor). Sometimes I do blue corn bread, but I don't have any blue corn meal on hand.

And yes, I add sugar. It tastes much better with it.

 

[Midnight Marauder]

DELICIOUS! my recipe is the same, only i sometimes add a can of diced tomatoes...

do you use white or yellow corn meal for the cornbread? also do you use sugar or not, in the cornbread?

Tomatoes are an excellent idea!

Today I am using yellow corn meal (and I vouch that the more expensive organic version is definitely worth it - much better flavor). Sometimes I do blue corn bread, but I don't have any blue corn meal on hand.

And yes, I add sugar. It tastes much better with it.

Just like my Mom used to make!

 

[boedicca]

Then your mom must have had the Fannie Farmer Cookbook!

 

[Midnight Marauder]

Then your mom must have had the Fannie Farmer Cookbook!

I never saw any cookbooks either in our house, or granny's. But then again, little boys aren't looking for such things, they are getting hit on the head with a wooden ladle for coming in there unasked for, while the work was in progress! This can erase most memory of what you saw while in the kitchen, induce partial amnesia! So much so that, I often forgot not to go in there unless called, and got the ladle again! And again! And again!

I'm told Mom learned from Granny, and Granny learned from the extra-terrestrials who brought us here!

 

[percysunshine]

Today is a perfect day to make a big pot of white bean and ham soup.

I acquired four gorgeous smoked ham shanks at the butcher's; and am now quick soaking three pounds of small white beans. I expect to have a triple batch of soup ready by 6pmish - with a pan of cornbread to accompany it.

Recipe:

- 1 lb. dried small white beans (soak over night or quick soak)
- 1.5 - 2lbs ham shank
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 ribs of celery
- bay leaf
- parsley
- herbes de provence
- salt
- pepper
- tabasco sauce
- 8 cups of water


-Cook ham shanks in 8 cups of water for an hour to an hour an a half. Add beans, diced vegetables and herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 2 to 3 hours. Remove ham shanks. Debone and shred meat. Add meat back to the pot. Heat, serve.

Garnish with a dash of tabasco sauce for a spicier version.

Some people put some of the soup through a food mill to make a thicker broth. I prefer to leave out that step.

A dash of Cilantro is the only thing I could add to that great recipe.

 

[Care4all]

DELICIOUS! my recipe is the same, only i sometimes add a can of diced tomatoes...

do you use white or yellow corn meal for the cornbread? also do you use sugar or not, in the cornbread?

Tomatoes are an excellent idea!

Today I am using yellow corn meal (and I vouch that the more expensive organic version is definitely worth it - much better flavor). Sometimes I do blue corn bread, but I don't have any blue corn meal on hand.

And yes, I add sugar. It tastes much better with it.

also, another way to enhance flavor, is to use chicken stock or vegetable stock instead of water...

the diced tomatoes i usually use with any darker bean...like kidney or pinto etc, but i tried it in a white bean soup not long ago and it was GREAT!

 

[Midnight Marauder]

*has same old feeling, wooden ladle might be coming for my head from Care. Or Boedicca...*

~gets football helmet on and comes back~

 

[Valerie]

mmm mmm sounds really good!

 

[boedicca]

DELICIOUS! my recipe is the same, only i sometimes add a can of diced tomatoes...

do you use white or yellow corn meal for the cornbread? also do you use sugar or not, in the cornbread?

Tomatoes are an excellent idea!

Today I am using yellow corn meal (and I vouch that the more expensive organic version is definitely worth it - much better flavor). Sometimes I do blue corn bread, but I don't have any blue corn meal on hand.

And yes, I add sugar. It tastes much better with it.

also, another way to enhance flavor, is to use chicken stock or vegetable stock instead of water...

the diced tomatoes i usually use with any darker bean...like kidney or pinto etc, but i tried it in a white bean soup not long ago and it was GREAT!

I'm making stock with the smoked ham shanks right now. They are fantastic - I think the base will be excellent.

 

[boedicca]

*has same old feeling, wooden ladle might be coming for my head from Care. Or Boedicca...*

~gets football helmet on and comes back~

That splains so much. Football really is from outer space.

 

[Midnight Marauder]

*has same old feeling, wooden ladle might be coming for my head from Care. Or Boedicca...*

~gets football helmet on and comes back~

That splains so much. Football really is from outer space.

I actually DID try that once, at my older cousin Benny's behest. He equipped me with a football helmet, and I went right into the foridden zone, sniffing around like usual.

Nobody said anything, though I am sure they all saw the helmet. There was a time there where I was beginning to think I was home free.... Then BLAMF!

Grandma whacked me in the head with a ROLLING PIN!

 

[Ringel05]

I cheat with my soups. I start with the canned ones as a base then work from there.
Just made a mix with one can of tomato and rice, one can golden mushroom, one can cheddar cheese.
Added one can diced tomatoes and habaneros, one lb ground sausage, one half a diced onion, one half cup shredded cheddar cheese and a quarter cup of dijon mustard.

If ya like spicy it was wonderful!

 

[syrenn]

It sounds just like mine. I use chicken stock instead of water and like Care add tomatoes.

 

[Foxfyre]

It does sound great and I've copied it for further reference.

Here in the Southwest, the cuisine is far more likely to be pinto beans than the white beans but the seasonings are much the same. You do wind up with mostly ham & beans as a side or entre though rather than as a soup. There is not that much broth left--just enough to soak up with good cornbread.