SOUPS, STEWS AND CHILIS

"Warms your soul from your nose to your toes"

U. S. Senate Bean Soup
Congressional Bean Soup
Neighborhood Bean Soup
Winter Tomato Soup
Snowy Day Vegetable Soup
Shrimp Soup
Cincinnati Chili
Broccoli Chowder
My Easy Bean Soup

U. S. SENATE BEAN SOUP

1 lb dried navy or great Northern beans, sorted, soaked overnight and drained
12 C cold water
2 meaty smoked ham hocks (2 pounds)
5 C chopped onions
2 C chopped celery
1 C mashed potatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 C minced parsley

In an 8-quart stock pot, bring the beans, water and ham hocks to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally and skimming the surface, for 1 hour or until the beans are almost tender. Stir in the onions, celery, mashed potatoes and garlic. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Season with the pepper. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ham hocks to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, cut the meat into bite-size pieces, discarding the bone, and stir back into the soup with the parsley. Makes six 1-1/2-C servings.

--From 'Reader's Digest Down Home Cooking'

CONGRESSIONAL BEAN SOUP
(slow cooker)

1 lb dried small white beans
8 C water
1 meaty hambone or 2 C diced cooked ham
1 C finely chopped celery
1 onion finely chopped
2 T finely chopped parsley
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 bay leaf

boil beans 2 mins. Let stand 1 hour. Pour into slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low 12-14 hours until beans are very soft. Remove bay leaf and hame bone. Cut meat off bone and return meat to pot. YIELD 6-8 servings

NEIGHBORHOOD BEAN SOUP

2 C dry great northern beans
5 C chicken broth
3 C water
1 large meaty ham bone
2-3 T chicken bouillon granules
1 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried marjoram
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t rubbed sage
1/4 t dried savory
2 medium onions, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 T vegetable oil

Place beans in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain. Add broth, water, ham bone, bouillon and seasonings; bring to a boil. reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 hours. Saute onions, carrots and celery in oil; add to soup. Cover and simmer 1 hour longer. De-bone ham and cut into chunks; return to soup. Skim fat. Yield: 10 servings (2-3/4 quarts).

--Country Woman

WINTER TOMATO SOUP

1 cube butter
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced (about 2 C)
1 t thyme
1 t basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can (35-ounce) Italian tomatoes
3 T tomato paste
3-3/4 C chicken broth, divided
4 T flour
1 t granulated sugar
1 C cream or half and half

In saucepan melt butter and add olive oil, onion, thyme, basil, and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until onions wilt. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer 10 minutes. Blend together 5 T of the chicken broth with the flour. Add this to the soup, stir, then add rest of broth. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. Puree soup in a blender. Return to head. Add sugar and cream. Simmer 5 more minutes. Makes 8 servings.

--From "A Taste of Oregon"

SNOWY DAY VEGETABLE SOUP

2 lbs cubed chuck roast and bone, or 2 pounds lean stewing beef
2 quarts water
1 large onion, chopped
1 can (28-ounce) tomatoes
1 C chopped celery
3 carrots, chopped
2 C shredded cabbage
2 C water
1/4 t onion powder
2 to 3 beef bouillon cubes
1 t sugar
2 C pared and diced potatoes
1 package (10-oz) frozen mixed vegetables
1 can (16-oz) cream style corn

Place meat and 2 quarts water in a large soup pot. Bring to boil; reduce heat and cook covered over medium heat for 2 hours. Add onion, tomatoes, celery, carrots, cabbage and 2 cups water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 1 additional hour. Add onion powder, bouillon, sugar, potatoes, mixed vegetables and corn. Continue cooking over medium heat for approximately 45 minutes until potatoes are done. Makes 8 generous servings. Serve with hot crusty bread.

--From the "Words Worth Eating Cookbook"

SHRIMP SOUP

1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 T chopped parsley
2 T celery leaves
3 tablespoons butter, divided
4 C chicken broth
1/4 C uncooked rice
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 C white wine
Salt and pepper to taste

In large saucepan, saute carrot, onion, bay leaf, parsley, and celery leaves in 2 T of butter until limp. Add 3 C of broth and bring to a boil. Add rice and simmer until tender. In separate pan, cover shrimp with wine and remaining chicken broth. Cook for 5 minutes. Drain shrimp, adding liquid to broth mixture. reserve 8 cooked shrimp for garnish. Finely chop remaining shrimp and add to vegetables and broth. Puree mixture. Before serving, reheat, add 1 T butter, and season with salt and pepper. Cut up the 8 remaining shrimp and garnish the soup. Makes 4 servings.

--From "Magic" the Cookbook of the Junior League of Birmingham AL

CINCINNATI CHILI

2 lb. hamburger
2 onions, chopped
1 qt. water
2-8 oz. cans of tomato sauce
1/2 t. allspice
1/4 t. garlic powder
4 T. chili powder
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1/4 t. crushed cloves
1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 T. vinegar
1 bay leaf
2 t. cinnamon
1 1/2 t. salt
4 drops tobasco sauce

Combine hamburger (do not brown first), onions and water. Simmer together in large soup pot for 30 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered 2-3 hours. It is delicious to serve this chili is over cooked spaghetti and sprinkled with cheddar cheese and chopped onions.

--Susan

BROCCOLI CHOWDER

2 lbs broccoli
2 (13-3/4 oz) cans chicken broth, undiluted
3 C milk
1 C chopped cooked ham
2 t salt
Pepper
1 C half & half
2 C (1/2 lb) shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 C butter

Combine broccoli and 1 cup chicken broth in Dutch oven. Cover and cook 7 minutes or until broccoli is crisp and tender. Remove broccoli from broth, cool and chop.

Add remaining can of chicken broth, milk, ham, salt and pepper to Dutch oven; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in broccoli and remaining ingredients. Cook until blended. DO NOT BOIL.

Serves 6-8.

Margie

MY EASY BEAN SOUP

Ham Chunks
3 cans beans (Navy, Pinto, Lima, etc.)
1 can water
1 can stewed tomatoes
1/2 chopped onion
Salt and Pepper to taste

I always keep ham chunks in the freezer for my string beans so today, I put a pack of them in the crockpot, added 3 cans of navy beans (actually 2 navy and 1 great northern), 1 can of water, 1 can of stewed tomatoes, some chopped onion, salt and pepper and let it simmer. In the afternoon, I took a potato masher, stuck it in the crock pot and mashed down 1-2-3 times (one for each can of beans). This mashed just enough of the beans to thicken the broth. Turned out delicious. No fuss, no muss.

Oh yes, I did fix a pkg of cheese biscuits from Bisquick. Yummy, they are really good.

"Why do they call it ‘chili’ if it’s hot?"

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