My new favorite bean soup that isn’t from the grains cookbook . . .
I love bean soups, especially when the beans don’t come from a can. But I usually don’t have enough patience to soak my own beans, so I don’t cook bean soup very often. This recipe has me whistling a different tune, though.
The original recipe comes from a new cookbook called Heirloom Beans by Steve Sando and Vanessa Barrington, but you can find a copy of the recipe here. I’ve made the soup twice with only minor modifications. First, I use 1 1/2 pounds of small, dried navy beans. I increase the water to about 8 cups, but leave the rest of the ingredients the same (I like my soups very thick). I also tend to add some ham, as the ham hocks don’t give me enough meat. The soup continues to thicken, so leftovers may need to be thinned out.
Yep,especially the corn bread. Can’t have beans without corn bread……Just a rule. I like my beans thick like Trista then just have warm corn bread with butter with it. Now I am hungry……….and for dessert I think I would like one of those retro ringers or in my days they were called ding dongs. Can we send our orders in now…?
THis looks really yummy. I grew up on bean soup and especially love it in the winter. I love it best with ham in it. I’m the opposite tho, I don’t want it too thick. I like to crumble (real!) corn bread in it and eat my concoction with fried potatoes. Did you make corn bread to go with this? I could have this for lunch today and a poppy seed muffin for dessert – where do i fax my order?
Hey Ma Sulley, does Papa like corn bread and fried potatoes with his bean soup? I don’t know if that’s part of Arkansas or not.