16 Bean Soup

Prior to making this soup, I didn't even know those bags of 16 Bean Soup Mix existed. I've never noticed them in the bean section in the store. I have a vague memory of a 5th grade art project that used an assortment of beans that resembled the 16 Bean Mix. I believe I made a butterfly out of beans. 

On to the soup.

I kept this soup very mild so that the kids would eat it. Jay and I both doctored up the final product. If you like spicy soup you can add more chili powder or red pepper flakes. You could also add more vegetables if that makes you happy.

1 bag 16 Bean Soup Mix, soak beans overnight, drain and rinse (throw away the seasoning packet, it's full of stuff you shouldn't be eating)

1 onion, chopped

1 14.5oz can fire roasted tomatoes with garlic, with juice

1 Tbsp cumin

1-2 tsp chili powder

1-2 quarts vegetable stock

3-4 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt and pepper

Grated cheese to garnish

Add beans, onion, tomatoes, spices and vegetable stock to slow cooker.  If you want a thicker soup add just enough stock to cover beans. If you want a soupier soup add the second quart. I don't know how much stock I added because I used the vegetable stock that I made the night before and it was already in the slow cooker. I'm guessing it was a little under 2 quarts. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Check the beans around 7 hours. Add garlic. Adding the garlic at the end of the cooking process yields a stronger garlic flavor than if you added it in the beginning. I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere. However, it's very possible that I'm making it up. Eh, I'm going with it either way. Continue cooking until beans are soft. Season with salt and pepper before serving. Top with grated cheese of your choice. We used grated Parmesan the first night and pepperjack cheese the second.

When I checked my soup at 7 hours it was too soupy so I added 1/2 cup of uncooked barley to thicken it up. I turned the slow cooker up to high and let it cook for another hour. You could also use rice or quinoa.

Review - This soup was perfect last week because we've been snowed in. Snowed in...in Texas. The temperature has been in the single digits. It's been downright nasty outside. I felt like I'd been teleported back home to Washington. Whether in Texas or Washington or Michigan, cold weather means soup weather. We all enjoyed this soup. You know Eli loved it with the beans and all. He did better with the big beans because they were easier to pick up with his chubby little fingers. Josie needed a little coaxing, but she ate it. I served it with a salad. This fed us for two days and lunch for me on the third day.