1.
Bean w/ Bacon Soup
Ingredients -
6 quart (6l) cooking vessel
2lb (1kg) dried Great Northern beans
12oz (1/3kg) bacon, fried and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large cooking onion
1/2 lb (1/4kg) carrots
6 stalks of celery
1 small potato, pealed
2 toes of garlic
4 bay leaves
1t black pepper
1t sea salt
Sort, rinse and soak beans
Puree all vegetables
Add everything to the cooking vessel filling remaining void with water
Bring to a boil, stir
Cover and simmer for 4 hours stirring every half hour
Enjoy with Pumpernickel or your favorite dark bread
2.
Ham, Cabbage, and Potato Soup
Ingredients:
• 1-small Ham with Bone, Butt End (not canned)*
• 1-small cabbage, shredded
• 5-6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1-can of green beans (or fresh green beans)
• Season with chopped garlic, onion powder, pepper, and minimal salt
1. Put ham, cabbage, and seasonings in Dutch Oven (pot) and fill with water ¾ full.
2. Cook on medium heat on top of stove (covered) until cabbage is TENDER. (This method takes longer and requires regular supervision. But tastes better. Alternative is to cook in oven on 350 with a lid.)
3. Add water as it diminishes from the pot, keeping same 3/4 level as you started with.
4. When cabbage becomes tender, take pot off stove and remove ham and bone.
5. Add potatoes to pot and cook until tender.
6. Add green beans when finished. (*If using fresh green beans, add to pot when you add the potatoes.)
7. Cut ham off bone and cube the meat. Add the meat only back to pot to complete the soup.
*It’s important to use a piece of ham On The Bone. Cooking the bone adds to the flavor and provides valuable minerals.
3.
French Onion Soup
There are two essential components of a good French onion soup. The first is the stock. Your soup will only be as good as the stock you are using. This soup traditionally is made with beef stock, although you can use vegetable stock.
The second most important element is to properly caramelize the onions
Ingredients:
50g / 2oz butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1kg / 2lb onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar
4 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
250ml / 9 floz sherry (or dry white wine)
1.2l / 40 floz strongly-flavoured beef stock
To garnish French bread & grated Emmental cheese.
Method:
Melt the butter with the oil and Worcestershire sauce in a large heavy-based pan. Add the onions and briskly fry for a 1-2 mins, reduce heat put the lid and continue to cook for 8 minutes or until soft. Sprinkle in the sugar and cook for 20 minutes more, stirring frequently, until caramelised. Take care towards the end to ensure that they don’t burn
Add the garlic for the final few minutes of the onions’ cooking time, then sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Increase the heat and keep stirring as you gradually add the wine, followed by the hot stock. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes
To serve, turn on the grill, and toast the bread. Ladle the soup into heatproof bowls. Put a slice or two of toast on top of the bowls of soup, and pile on the cheese. Grill until melted. Alternatively, you can complete the toasts under the grill, then serve them on top