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

Quick Salsa Soup

This was my go to meal after having my babies...it was soo easy to have already seasoned wrapped chicken breast in the freezer or frigde. All you have to do is add it to the soup, let it simmer and serve.  If you have freezer space, this can be a make ahead and stored in freezer safe containers to prepare at will. More time to spend with the new baby than standing at the stove.


Braised chicken breast ( about 8 ounces or two boneless chicken halves)
1 3/4 c. water
1 3/4 c. (14 1/2 oz. can) reduced fat chicken broth , Once I used the bullion and made the same amount of broth
1- 2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 c. frozen corn... the loose kind was suggested in the original recipe... but fresh corn will work excellent too if you have it on hand
1 c. Salsa!!!
1/2 c Pepper jack or your fav. cheese shredded for topping
some tortilla chips!

When the chicken's not cooked I start by prepping the chicken with (optional s/p) and chili powder, braise it in a sauce pan,  then I add it to the water/broth. Bring it to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer covered for 8 min. Add in th corn and cook uncovered until the meat is done(no pink). Stir in the salsa! :D Let that get heated thoroughly. Get out the bowls, spoons and chips.
Serve sprinkled with cheese and a side of chips. Oh boy I Love this soup...yum!
I love when a magazine includes the nutritional facts

Only 190 cal. per serving and 6g total fat(3.5g salt fat), 50 mg chol. 800 mg sodium, 17 g total carb, 2 g fiber, 3 g sugars, 20 g protein. The daily values are 10% vit. A. 8 % vit. C, 10% Calcium, 6% Iron.

taken from The very best baby magazine
try www.verybestbaby.com/recipes