When I was a girl, I had the benefit of enjoying foods from my parents' Depression-era life. Now I realize they had some pretty odd foods. They had to make do. But it wasn't always bad, tasteless, or bizarre. It was almost always economical, and one of the things my Dad used to make us was 12-bean soup. Apparently, it had been around a while before the Hurst dry bean company decided to put it together into one bag in 1938. I loved this soup. It was always tasty and warming. And today, when I make it, good memories of good times come flooding back. Today it's now a 15-bean soup. I will present this in two different ways.
TRADITIONAL STOVETOP
- 1 package HamBeens® 15 BEAN SOUP® with seasoning packet
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 smoked ham hock, leftover ham, or smoked sausage
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
SOAK THE BEANS ONLY overnight, changing the water every few hours.
Special note: only add the tomatoes and onion when the beans are tender.
- Rinse beans and drain.
- Sort any unwanted debris and set the seasoning packet aside.
- Place beans in a large pot of cool water.
- Cover and allow to soak at least 8 hours or overnight.
- After soaking, drain the water.
- Add water and broth to a large pot. If using smoked ham hock, add it to the water and broth in a large pot.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover.
- Cook 1 hour. (Note: if using ham bone, leftover ham, or smoked sausage, it can be added along with the beans in the step below and does not need to be pre-cooked.)
- Add onion, garlic, and drained beans, and reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover.
- Cook 1 ½ to 2 hours or until beans are tender.
- Stir in tomatoes, chili powder, and lemon juice.
- Simmer uncovered for an additional 30 minutes or until thickened.
- Stir in the seasoning packet from the beans and season with salt & pepper to taste.
- Simmer 1 minute more.