15 Bean Soup With Smoked Pork And Greens Food

15-BEAN SOUP WITH SMOKED PORK AND GREENS

Steps:

• Place bean mixture into a large bowl and cover with water by a couple of inches. Soak 8 hours or overnight. Alternately, put them in a pot and cover with water by a couple of inches. Bring to a rapid boil for 3 minutes. Cover, turn off heat and let sit for one hour. Drain water and rinse.
• Place soaked bean mixture in a large pot or Dutch oven with 1 quart of the water, the pork hocks, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, cover partially. Reduce to a simmer and let cook until beans are just tender, 1-1½ hours. If using lentils, they will mostly disintegrate and thicken into the liquid. If soup seems too thick, add some more of the water.
• Add onion, celery, garlic, and paprika to the pot. Stir in, then continue to simmer very gently for another 15 minutes. Stir in greens and continue cooking another 5-10 minutes.
• Turn off the heat. Fish out the hocks with a long pair of tongs or a skimmer. Go ahead and remove the thyme stalks and bay leaves while you're at it and discard them. Set aside the hocks for a few minutes, until cool enough to handle. Pick the meat from the bones and add the meat back to the pot.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the vinegar. Serve!

VEGETARIAN 15 BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Soak beans overnight, or at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse.
• Cook beans in water until just tender by simmering on the stove in 2 qts. water for 1 1/2 hours. (Can also cook in slower cooker or pressure cooker.).
• Shortly before the beans are done, saute onion and garlic in oil until slightly brown.
• When beans are done, drain half the cooking water.
• Add all remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, for 40-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning to taste.
• Serve with crusty bread or popovers.

BARBECUE 15-BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Set aside the soup mix seasoning packet and put the beans in a large colander.
• Pick through the beans to remove any debris, then rinse under running water.
• Put the beans in the slow cooker, cover them with water, and soak for 8 hours.
• Pour the beans back into the colander, discarding the used water, and rinse under running water.
• Return the beans to the slow cooker and add 1 quart of fresh water.
• Add the barbecue sauce and chopped onions, stirring to mix.
• Cover and cook on low 10 hours or until beans are tender.
• An hour before the soup is done, add the seasoning packet and stir.
• Just before serving the soup, season it with salt and pepper.