Black Bean Soup

Bean based soups and stews are among my most often cooked Fall and Winter dinner time fare. They are economical and usually take very little hands on time.

Black bean soup is a more recent recipe. For a long time I didn’t think I would like black beans. I have found they work great in a lot of the same dishes that usually use my beloved pinto beans.

 

Black Bean Soup

Recipe by Micha @ Cookin’ Mimi

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 pound dried black beans cooked according to these directions OR
• 4 15 ounces cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 10 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained. Use mild if worried about the heat levels,
• To taste salt
• To taste black pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a 4 quart stock pot. Cook the onion and garlic until softened and fragrant.
2. Add the black beans and broth. Bring to a boil.
3. Cover the pot and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about an hour.
4. Taste soup for seasonings and add salt and pepper as needed.
5. Puree the soup using an immersion blender or mash with a potato masher.
6. Mix in the can of tomatoes and green chiles.

You may also like:

• Southwestern Pinto Bean Soup
• Chili Bean and Potato Stew
• Mixed Bean and Bacon Soup

For more in this series click below

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Broccoli and Cheese Pie

This is a fairly versatile dish. You can serve it as a meatless main dish or as a side with say some Italian grilled chicken breasts. The basic recipe comes from Better Crocker but I added a few changes to ramp up the flavor a bit.

Broccoli and Cheese Pie

Recipe by Micha @ Cookin’ Mimi adapted from Betty Crocker

Ingredients

• 12 ounce package frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 1/2 medium bell pepper, chopped. I used a red pepper
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup baking mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
• 2 eggs

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray or grease a 9 inch pie plate.
2. Place thawed broccoli in bottom of pie plate and sprinkle the onion, bell pepper, and cheese over.
3. Whisk together the baking mix, milk, garlic salt, cayenne pepper, ground mustard, and eggs.
4. Pour over the vegetables.
5. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes clean. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

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How to Cook Beans in a Slow Cooker

I have debated for quite awhile on whether or not I should post this. Beans in a slow cooker are a pretty easy thing to make and I change mine up a bit depending on what variety of beans I am cooking. Because of that this is going to be a bit longer than the average post.

Slow Cooker Beans

Recipe by Micha

How to cook beans in a slow cooker.

Prep time: 30 minutes plus overnight soak

Cook time: 6-8 hours

Total time: 6.5-8.5 hours plus overnight soak

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried beans
• 8 cups water
• 2 teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt
• 1 Tablespoon oil or bacon fat
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 smail onion, diced OR
• 2 Tablespoons dried onion flakes
• To taste black pepper
• water for soaking and quick boiling

Cooking Directions

Sort through the beans and make sure to get rid of any rocks, twigs, or clumps of dirt. Place in a bowl and add enough water to cover the beans by two inches. Place in fridge overnight.

Drain beans and add to a stock pot. Cover with enough water to cover the beans by two inches. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 10-15 minutes. Drain and discard water. Boiling beans and discarding the water is advised to remove toxins slow cooking does not kill.

Place beans in slow cooker, add 8 cups water, salt, oil, garlic, onion and black pepper. Cook on high for 6-8 hours or until beans are tender checking occasionally to see if more water is needed .

Additional seasonings- If I am cooking Great Northern or Navy Beans to eat as “Soup beans” I like to add a ham bone or pieces of ham. If I’m cooking pintos for refried beans I’ve been known to add the juice from pickled jalapenos and for black beans about a teaspoon of cumin is excellent.

Use in your favorite recipes in place of canned beans.

To freeze: drain beans and package 1 3/4 to 2 cups of beans in freezer safe containers or bags. Label and freeze. Thaw overnight in refrigerator or until beans are no longer frozen. Use as needed.

Linked to Weekend Potluck

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Tomato Soup

A delicious and easy tomato soup that is perfect for serving along grilled cheese sandwich or with biscuits bathed in garlic butter.

I was reluctant to call this homemade tomato soup because it does call for canned diced tomatoes and I know some people say anything with any canned ingredient isn’t homemade.

The special thing about this recipe is you oven roast the tomatoes. Yup, you throw canned tomatoes in the oven to roast them. I know it sounds odd but the extra layer of flavor it adds is quite tasty. I do plan on trying this when fresh tomatoes are plentiful and cheap because I really think that would be over the top delicious.

I think this would be excellent served with my Supreme Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for a fairly quick weekend supper.

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Tomato Soup

Recipe by Micha @ Cookin’ Mimi

A delicious and easy tomato soup that is perfect for serving along grilled cheese sandwich or with biscuits bathed in garlic butter.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tablespoon dried or 1/4 cup fresh basil
• To taste Kosher salt
• To taste black pepper

Cooking Directions

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Drain the diced tomatoes, reserving the juice, and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until tomatoes are caramelized.

In a sauce pan heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and butter. Cook the onions and garlic until tender and translucent. Add in the chicken broth, roasted tomatoes, reserved juice, and bay leaf. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Add the basil and remove the bay leaf. Puree until smooth using an immersion blender or let cool slightly and puree in batches using a traditional blender leaving off the little cap in the middle so the steam can escape.

adapted from Michael Chiarello

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Chili Bean and Potato Stew

Beans are a staple at our house because they are budget friendly and versatile. The stew is a nice change from the usual Southern-style pot of pintos or refried beans. It is filling, richly seasoned, and smells amazing while it is cooking. I made this batch on top of the stove but it could easily be made in the slow cooker.

 

Chili Bean and Potato Stew

Recipe by Micha @ Cookin’ Mimi

A hearty meatless stew

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 3 hours on the stove or 8-9 hours on low 4-5 hours on high

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups dried pinto beans
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1-3 Tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin or smoked paprika
• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
• To taste salt
• To taste black pepper
• To taste onion powder

Cooking Directions

Sort beans and remove any debris. Soak overnight in cold water or do a quick soak by covering with water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, turn off heat and let sit for an hour.

 

Drain soaking water from beans and place in a 4- 6 quart Dutch oven. Cover with fresh water; add oil, salt, pepper and onion powder. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and turn heat down to medium low. Cook for 2 hours or until beans start to get tender. Add chili powder a tablespoon at a time to taste, then add the paprika and potatoes. Cover and cook another hour or so or until the potatoes are tender and the mixture has thickened.

Can be served with brown rice, topped with cheese and sour cream, and would be excellent with a side of cornbread.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

Place soaked beans in a 4-6 quart slow cooker. Add beans, potatoes, vegetable oil, salt, pepper and onion. Then add the paprika and chili powder to taste. Cover with water. Cook on low 8-9 hours or on high 4-5 or until beans and potatoes are tender and the gravy has thickened.

Linked to: Cooking Thursday at Diary of a SAHM

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