Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Chicken Bean Vegetable or Simple Bean Veggie soup

I can't tell you where I found this recipe. My mother in-law told me how to cook them for my husband early on in our marriage. Then I watched Julia Child's and took her way of preparing beans and finally came up with the way I make beans today.  I've tweeked it so much it wouldn't be recognizable anyways. My favorite way to make them is in the oven. They cook slow like a crock but all the flavors seem to meld wonderfully.  What started out as a chicken with bean soup, has become Roasted Chicken with beans and vegetable. At the end of  a cold day you want to sit down to something warming and it's often what we have on hand. Many times If I had a bag of beans, Salt and Onions. We had a meal. Throw in a slab of ham or a few pieces of chicken and slice of bread, what a good times we had over simple meals like this. Then retire to our beds with full bellies
In this picture I roasted chicken thighs
 in the oven and served with the beans.


Ingredients

1 bag dry great northern beans
6-7 cups water
1 cup chopped onion
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium potatoes
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 boullion cubes
a few shakes of liquid smoke
1 tsp. salt to start

Directions
1.Pick and Rinse beans; drain. In a large saucepan, combine beans and the 6 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans.
2.Place in your crock pot on high to cook until tender.
3.Meanwhile, chop veggies and saute in a frying pan with 1 bay leaf, season to taste.
4.When the Beans are tender add in your veggies with bay leaf and boullion and a few shakes of liquid smoke.
5. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
Makes about 15 servings. I'm sure this changes the nutritional info below, a bit since I didn't use meat or tomatoes.

Original Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup dry great northern beans
6 cups water
1 cup chopped onion
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4-1/2 cups chicken broth
2-1/2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken(e.i. rotisserie chicken or your own roasted or any type of chicken or meat you perfer, bone in is best for flavor)
1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

Directions
1. Rinse beans; drain. In a large saucepan, combine beans and the 6 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans.
2. Meanwhile, in a 3-1/2-, 4-, or 5-quart crockery cooker, combine onion, fennel, carrots, garlic, parsley, rosemary, and pepper. Place beans atop vegetables. Pour chicken broth over all.
3. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
4. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting then Stir in chicken and tomatoes. Cover and cook for 30 minutes longer or until heated through on high-heat setting. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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Nutrition facts per serving: calories: 426; total fat: 10g; saturated fat: 3g; cholesterol: 78mg; sodium: 1454mg; carbohydrate: 46g; fiber: 15g; protein: 40g; starch: 2.5 diabetic exchange; vegetables: 2 diabetic exchange; very lean meat: 4 diabetic exchange; fat: 1diabetic exchange