Cold Weather Comfort: Bean Soup

My Mother always made bean soup with the hambone and leftover ham from New Year's Day dinner, and I've made it plenty of times with holiday ham leftovers in January, then frozen it in meal-sized containers to pull out when the weather is it's coldest and the wind it's blusteriest.  But we've had a weird winter this year, and also had a ham at Easter. It's April, yet tomorrow it's supposed to snow ... again. May this be the last time that happens until the next winter!

Bean Soup

2 lbs dried beans (great northern, a bean mix, or navy beans are the best ones to use)

soak the beans per the package up to 8 hours, then drain and proceed with the recipe

3 tablespoons butter

2 large onions, roughly chopped

3 ribs of celery, washed and roughly chopped
a large ham bone, most meat removed and reserved for later in the recipe
1 carrot, grated

2 chicken bullion cubes (OR Herb Ox Sodium Free Bullion packets)

2 bay leaves

salt

pepper

In a large stockpot, melt the butter and add the onions and celery, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and ham bone and saute a few more minutes. Add the prepared beans, and cover with water 2" above the solids, and add the 2 chicken bullion cubes. Add the bay leaves, additional ham meat, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, stir, and lower the heat to simmer slowly for at least 2 hours. Be a little scant on the salt -- about an hour into simmering the soup, taste it and adjust the seasoning to taste. 

This recipe, like many soup recipes, tastes so much better if made a day ahead and then reheated when you want it; the flavors marry with some chilling, and the flavor is much more complex and rich.

Makes about 6 quarts or so.

It's Almost Time: Potato Leek Soup

The first whiff of Fall is in the air, and it won't be long until the first really crisp and cool day descends on us. That's always the day we make our first batch of Potato Leek soup of the Fall and Winter seasons. It's hearty, satisfying, and I typically serve it with a good bread or cheese biscuits, and, after supper, a pot of tea and some sort of spicy or homey cookie, like homemade ginger or peanut butter cookies. I think we just like all the rich, warm aromas that emanate from the kitchen! On that first cold night, nothing beats Potato Leek Soup.  But I digress. Here is the soup that we all love:


POTATO LEEK SOUP

I use a 12 quart lidded stockpot

* * * * * * * * * *

1 pound of thick cut smokey bacon, cut into 1" pieces

1 or 2 large yellow onions, roughly chopped

1 stalk celery, roughly diced into approx. 1/2" pieces

6 leeks, washed well to remove the sand inevitably stuck down near the root end, then roughly sliced into 1/2" slices

1/2 small head of cabbage, cored and coarsely shredded

8 to 10 large russet or yukon gold potatos, peeled, halved, then quarter the halves

12 cups (96 ounces) of chicken broth -- have another 2 to 3 cups on hand if needed

1 or 2 bay leaves

salt to taste

fresh ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon Penzey's Bavarian Seasoning

1 large carrot, shredded

1/4 tsp. caraway seed (optional)

1/2 pint of heavy cream -- or get a pint if you plan to have the soup again within the week

4 to 6 ounces of gruyere cheese, shredded (this is easier if the cheese has been frozen first) - you will need more cheese for subsequent meals


In a large stockpot, cook the bacon until browned and almost crisp, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the pot. Remove bacon, chop roughly; place in a paper towel lined bowl and set aside. If there seems to be more than 3  or 4 tablespoons of bacon fat left in the stockpot, drain some of it off.

To the bacon fat in the stockpot, immediately add the onions and celery, scraping up the brown bits and stirring to cook just until the onions begin to brown. Add the leeks and cook over medium low heat until wilted. Add the potatoes, stir, and cook a few minutes longer. Add the chicken stock, coarsely shredded cabbage, Penzey's Bavarian Seasoning, bay leaf, carrot and thyme. Add salt if needed: Remember there is already some salt in the bacon drippings and chicken broth, so add small amounts and repeatedly taste to get it to your liking. Turn up the burner to medium, and when the stock begins to boil, add half of the bacon pieces, then turn down the heat so that the stock just simmers gently, cooking until the potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes or so, stirring occasionally with the lid ajar a bit.

Using an immersion blender, pulse through the soup to break up the potatoes to the consistency you desire; we like some small potato chunks in the soup, but you may want it smoother. If you like a smoother soup but still a like a little texture, press the potatoes through a ricer instead of using an immersion blender, then return the potatoes to the stockpot.  If the soup seems a bit too thick at this point, (or you just like it a bit thinner), add additional chicken stock and heat until simmering. Add the caraway seed, parsley, and freshly ground pepper to taste.

In individual soup bowls or soup plates which have been pre-warmed, add a tablespoon or two of the heavy cream, and microwave it for 15 seconds or so to take the chill off. Ladle in the soup and stir. Add a drizzle of heavy cream to the top, followed by a 2 tablespoons or so of the gruyere, and top with some of the remaining bacon bits. Serve with nice crusty bread and a salad.

NOTE: I don't add heavy cream to the stockpot for these reasons: 1) the entire pot will be ruined if the cream boils, and 2) there will be lots of soup left for more meals, and soup with cream does not freeze well. The soup freezes wonderfully without the cream and can be used up to four months later. Freeze leftover soup in multiple serving batches.  Defrost a batch when needed, and slowly reheat in a covered heavy bottomed pot until simmering. Make up the soup bowls as above and serve.

Also: The soup is better when allowed to cool and is then chilled overnight and reheated. That never happens, though! We have absolutely no willpower. But if you can make this in advance, it is actually better reheated and served the next day. First day soup is very good; second day soup is GREAT. :-) Hence the big batch. 

Makes 8 to 10   2 cup servings

Raiding the Mom Archive: Her French Onion Soup

My Mom has a really good recipe for french onion soup. She no longer cooks,  but while tidying up her recipe drawer, I came across her tattered recipe, which I know I have, but don't know exactly where. This time it won't escape: The blog captures all.

As everyone who makes french onion soup knows, the secret to great flavor depth  is to brown the onions low and slow, allowing them to carmelize properly. One of my tweaks is to add a bay leaf to the stock when  heating it for even more flavor depth. My sister-in-law has her own twist as well: Instead of beer, she uses Taylor port. I can vouch for the sensational results. No matter how you tweak it, it's an easy, basic, and excellent recipe.

Marian's French Onion Soup

2 very large Spanish onions
3 TBLSP. butter
1 TBLSP. extra virgin olive oil
12 ounces of beer
3 TBLSP. flour
32 ounces (4 cups) beef stock or beef broth
one can of beef consomme -or- consomme Madrilienne
a baguette of good french bread, sliced to the desired thickness and allowed to dry out for several hours -or-
use day old french bread
 8 slices provolone cheese and/or good swiss cheese

Cut up the onions in rings and separate. In a very large frying pan, melt the butter then add the olive oil. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat until tender, golden brown and carmelized. This takes some time, so be forewarned. Add the flour and continue to cook, stirring, for five to ten more minutes.

In a 4 quart saucepan, stir together the beef stock, consomme and beer. Heat thoroughly. Ladle out a few cups and pour over the onions, stirring until all the brown bits are incorporated. Pour the onion mixture into the 4 quart saucepan into the remaining stock mixture and stir until well blended. Adjust the seaoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 400F. Place 8  individual ovenproof soup dishes on a rimmed cookie sheet. Place some of the onions in the bottom of each soup bowl, add a baguette slice, add the remaining onions, and then fill each 3/4 full with stock..  Add a slice of your preferred cheese (or two!) cheese on top. Carefully place the cookie sheet on the center oven rack and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Makes 8 servings.