Bean Soup #recipe @lucyburdette

LUCY BURDETTE: Some days you just need something homey and filling. This bean soup does the job--and it makes a lot so you can freeze for later or serve to a big crowd.

Ingredients

1 16-ounce package mixed beans (throw away the salty seasoning packet)

1 quart good quality chicken broth

2 cups water, more as needed

1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes

One onion, chopped

Two cloves garlic

Four stalks of celery, chopped

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon crushed fennel seed

1 teaspoon oregano

One jalapeño pepper chopped

Cilantro or parsley to taste

 Either soak the beans overnight if you are planning that far ahead, or cover them with an inch of water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, and simmer for two minutes. Cover and let them expand for an hour or so. Drain and rinse.

While the beans are getting ready, chop up the onion, garlic, pepper, and the celery, and sauté all of that for five minutes or so until soft. Add the chili powder, fennel seed, and oregano for the last couple minutes. 

Add the chicken broth, the beans, and the tomatoes, and simmer until the beans are soft. Depending on what beans you chose, this could take a couple of hours. Add more water if the soup seems too thick.Taste for seasoning, and stir in 1 tablespoon of sugar, use the 2nd tablespoon if your palate requests it . Serve piping hot with a sprinkle of cilantro and or parsley on top.

I served this with a green salad and asparagus muffins. Ordinarily, I would stir cheese into a bean soup, preferably cheddar. But this soup with a slightly sweet taste and the fennel flavoring did not seem to call for that. 

This recipe was based on 25 secrets revealed – a culinary tour by Kevin G McCabe 

Lucy Burdette (aka Roberta Isleib) has published 17 mysteries, including the latest in the Key West food critic series, A Deadly Feast (Crooked Lane Books, May 2019.)  Read more at https://lucyburdette.com You can also find Lucy on Facebook and 
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