Stocking the Pantry for Soup

My niece and nephew gave me a cookbook for Christmas:  Favorite Brand Name Recipe Country Soups.  The recipes came from food product companies whose brands are featured in some of the recipes.  I really like this cookbook -- I've been making soup all week and every recipe so far has been a home run with the family.

The recipes are divided into six categories.  I picked recipes out of the Vegetable & Grains, and Beans & Legumes sections to prepare so first I had to stock up on my beans.  While I keep a few cans of beans in the pantry for emergencies I prefer to cook my own beans.  Home-cooked beans take some time but are not difficult to prepare, and they're definitely worth the effort.  They taste better than canned beans, and you get to control the salt and seasonings.  In fact the hardest part for me is to remember to soak the beans overnight!

I prepared Great Northern Beans, Lima Beans, and Black Beans.  (The recipe for the Great Northern and Lima beans are the same.)

White Beans
Yield:  approximately 8 cups beans, and 4 cups stock

To prepare beans:

Sort through 1 lb bag of white beans (Great Northern, Lima, etc) and remove any rocks or debris, rinse, and put into large pot of water with 6 to 8 cups of water.  Cover and set on counter overnight (at least 12 hours). Drain water, and rinse beans thoroughly.


To cook beans:

Soaked white beans
2 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
2 medium celery stalks, cut into 2"-3" pieces
2 medium carrots, halved and cut into 2"-3" pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
6-8 cups water

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.  Saute onions until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).  Add garlic, celery and carrot stalks, and cook for additional five minutes stirring occasionally.  Add beans and water, and bring to boil.  Lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook beans 30 to 40 minutes skimming off any foam.  Beans are ready when they are just cooked through but not mushy.  Discard carrot and celery stalks.  Beans and stock are now ready for use or storage.

Black Beans
Yield:  approximately 6 cups beans, and 2 cups stock

To prepare beans:

Sort through 1 lb bag of black beans and remove any rocks or debris, rinse, and put into large pot of water with 6 to 8 cups of water.  Cover and set on counter overnight (at least 12 hours). Drain water, and rinse beans thoroughly.

To cook beans:
Soaked black beans
2 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 serrano chilies, seeded, and finely diced
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp dried cilantro
1 tsp dried oregano

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Saute onions until soft and translucent (about five minutes).  Add garlic, chilies, and spices and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring (almost) constantly.  You can add a little water as necessary to keep spices from scorching.  Add beans and water, and bring to a boil.  Lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook 20 to 30 minutes until just cooked (but no mushy).  Beans and stock are now ready for use or storage.

 

I like to freeze my beans in 2 cup storage containers with just enough stock to cover the beans.  I freeze the remaining white bean stock in four cup quantities for future use.