CliqueClack Food

Bean and Ham soup: A Redneck treat – Redneck cooking

by Jeff Love

DSC00905 425x283 Bean and Ham soup: A Redneck treat – Redneck cooking

I have always liked beans. They are cheap, easy to store, and will last a long time if stored properly. There are many varieties of dry beans available. With so many different beans to choose from you can change the flavor of any dish just by changing the type of bean used. Whether pinto, lima, garbanzo, or great northern, they each have a distinct and unique texture and flavor. When made into soup they all provide a tasty and filling meal that will warm you up on a cold winter day and give you plenty of energy to get you through the toughest of days.

The great northern bean is one of my favorites. A one-pound bag of dried great northerns will cost me 88 cents. I like to keep a few pounds on hand as part of my emergency food supply. The nutritional value of these beans is enough to sustain you for quite a while as well. One cup of great northern beans has 210 calories for energy with 38 grams of carbohydrates, 14 grams of protein and zero cholesterol.

Great northern beans have a light kind of buttery flavor. The beans are firm with a thin skin that holds up well during cooking.

Bean and Ham soup

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Ingredients:

1 pound great northern beans, or your favorite type of beans
1 medium onion, diced
¼ to ½ pound ham, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Dried beans do not have to be soaked before cooking, however the cooking time will be increased if they are not soaked to begin the re-hydration of the beans prior to cooking. When I cook beans I prefer to slow soak them overnight before cooking. It’s a simple process to soak the beans. Rinse the beans and put them in a large bowl. Add enough water that is at room temperature to the bowl to keep the beans covered. About 3 cups of water for each cup of beans is a good starting point. Cover the bowl and let the beans sit for at least 8 hours. After soaking drain and rinse the beans again.

Add the beans to a large stock pot, or crock pot, or dutch oven. Add in the diced onion and diced ham. Salt and pepper to taste. Add in 3 cups of water for each cup of beans. If you are cooking them in a large pot on the stove, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and cook until the beans are tender. I usually will let them cook for at least 4 hours.

You can add other vegetables to the soup if you like. This recipe is a good place to start and is a good place to start experimenting with other ingredients.