Old School Bean Soup With Wheat Berries Food

WHEAT BERRY SOUP

Steps:

• Place the wheat berries in a large bowl. Cover with at least 6 cups cold water. Set aside to soak for at least 4 hours. Drain and place in a large non stick saucepan.
• Add the water or stock to the pan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour. Add all the rest of the ingredients.
• Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 45 minutes or till the berries are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Place rinsed beans into a large stock pot. Add water and bring to a boil. Boil gently for 2 minutes; remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour.
• Add ham bone, cubed ham, onion, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until beans are soft. Occasionally skim surface of soup while it is cooking.
• Add carrots and celery, cook until tender. Remove ham bone, scrape any meat from bone and place back into soup and serve.

WHITE BEAN, WHEAT BERRY, AND ESCAROLE SOUP

Steps:

• In a bowl soak beans in water to cover by 2 inches overnight or quick-soak (procedure follows) and drain.
• In a heavy kettle (at least 5 quarts) simmer ham hocks and wheat berries in water and broth, covered, 1 hour. Add drained beans and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and skim froth. Add onions, carrots, celery, bay leaf, and rosemary and simmer, covered, until beans are tender, about 1 hour.
• Transfer ham hocks with a slotted spoon to a cutting board. Discard fat and bones and chop meat.
• In a blender or food processor purée 3 cups soup. Stir purée into soup with chopped meat and escarole and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Stir in garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Soup may be made 4 days ahead (cool uncovered before chilling covered.)
• In a large saucepan combine dried beans, picked over and rinsed, with triple, their volume of cold water. Bring the water to a boil and cook beans, uncovered, over moderate heat 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let beans soak 1 hour.

WHEATBERRY SOUP

Steps:

• Place navy beans in large bowl and wheat berries in a separate bowl.
• Bring 6 cups water to boil and pour half of water over beans and half over wheat berries.
• Set both aside for two hours.
• Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add onion, leek, celery, carrot and garlic.
• Stir until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes.
• Drain the beans and add them to the vegetables.
• Stir to coat.
• Add broth, boquet garni and bay leaf.
• Cover the saucepan, increase heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.
• Lover the heat to medium low and simmer until the beans have cooked, about an hour.
• Remove boquet garni and bay leaf, and transfer the soup to a food processor or blender.
• Blend in short pulses to make a chunky soup rather than a puree.
• Return the soup to the pan, Or use an immersion blender to process soup in pan.
• Drain the wheat berries and add them to the saucepan Bring soup to a boil again over medium high heat, cover and lower heat to medium low.
• Simmer until the wheat berries are tender, about 50 minutes.
• Stir often to keep the wheat berries from sticking to the pot, Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.