It's a cold, rainy day - one of those days where you feel cold to the bone. Even after bundling up in layers of warm clothing, you still can't shake off the cold. On such days, I crave a nice, hearty ham and bean soup. I absolutely love the fall and winter season because it gives me the chance to experiment with different types of soups, each with its own unique flavor and texture. A delicious bowl of soup is the only thing I can think of to warm us up and make this day perfect. I also want to ensure that we don't compromise our weight loss journey. We decided to make 15 bean soup. This amazing recipe is filling, nutritious, and perfect for our diet.
Brrr, it's cold outside and we're all stuck indoors. It's time for some warm bean soup!
When it comes to making soup, there are various types of beans to choose from. One interesting option is the 15 Bean Soup Mix, which contains 15 different types of beans, making it colorful and fun. This mix can be found in most grocery stores and is quite easy to prepare. What's more, the beans themselves are quite unique with a blend of colors and sizes, including navy beans, dried lima beans, small split peas, and lentils. I always use the seasoning packet that comes with the mix and add additional spices to enhance the flavor. Overall, this soup recipe is simple to make and delicious to taste!
Soak the beans
To prepare the beans for cooking, start by setting the seasoning packet aside. Then, take a large bowl or stock pot, and add the beans to it. Fill the bowl with water and let the beans soak for at least 8 hours. Soak them overnight, so they are ready to cook the next day. TIP: I put them in the water before I go to bed then they are ready the next day.
Once the beans have soaked, drain the water, and give them a quick rinse. You may notice that the outer skin of some of the lima beans comes off during soaking. Do not worry, just discard the skin, but not the beans
When preparing ham and bean soup, it's a good idea to add a ham bone for extra flavor, but it's not mandatory. As we didn't have a ham bone available in the freezer, we purchased a 2-pound boneless ham and diced it up. Alternatively, you could buy smoked ham hocks to add a smoky flavor to the soup
Tip to add great flavor to the ham and bean soup
For a really flavorful soup, sauté the ham and onions with cumin, the seasoning packet from the beans, chicken bouillon, some salt, and a little pepper directly in the stock pot. We have recently discovered bourbon salt and have been using it in many of our recipes. It adds an incredible taste to almost anything it's used in.
After sautéing the ham, onion, and spices, add the beans, chicken broth, and water to the stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 3 hours.
Overall, the 15-bean soup is so good and will warm you up when that extra sweater won't quite do the job!!!
No better comfort food than HAM AND BEAN SOUP!
We enjoy having this soup with saltine crackers, maybe because it reminds me of my childhood. As we grew up on a dairy farm, our meals were always very filling, and we never wasted food. We would have bean soup one night and then, the next day, my mom would thicken the remaining soup and serve it over white bread. One of my favourite ways to have bean soup is to treat it like a "gravy". Therefore, we always buy Wonder Bread and pour the soup gravy over it.
Bean soup is a great dish that can easily be frozen for another day and a really quick meal.
- Measure the soup - 2 cups is one serving.
- Place each serving in an individual freezer container or freezer bag.
- Store them in the freezer.
- Reheat a single portion whenever you want to enjoy it on a cold day.
BONUS: This is low in calories and high in fiber, and it's really good!!
Budget-friendly
Imagine treating yourself to several mouth-watering, budget-friendly meals that are not only filling but also leave you with a warm and contented feeling. With just under ten dollars, you can make this a reality! Don't forget to explore some of the other soup recipes we have reimaged to be diet-friendly.
TIPS:
- Use low-fat chicken broth or vegetable broth.
- Purchase a good quality Chicken Bouillon.
- Measure everything.
Here are some other recipes we thought you might also like:
- Black Beans and Rice - This easy Black Beans and Rice with Ham dish is loaded with flavor and spices for a nutritious and delicious main or side dish.
- Grilled Veggie Kabobs - The freshness of the veggies with the zippy marinade and smoke from the grill makes a perfect summer meal.
- White Bean Chili - beans, green chilies, and warm flavors like cumin. It is low in calories, easy to make, and filling.
- Stuffed Pork Chops - Creamy cheese, ham, and herbs fill a perfectly seared pork chop.
- Soup Season - Roundup of many of our soup recipes.
Enjoy This 15 Bean Soup Recipe Without Compromising Your Diet
Ingredients
- 20 ounces 15 bean mix This is a mixture of dry beans
- 2 pounds ham boneless ham
- 1 Onion
- 2 teaspoon Cumin
- 2 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons Chicken Bouillon Powder
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 6 Cups Chicken Broth (48 Ounces)
- 4 Cups Water
Instructions
- Put the 15 bean mix into a large bowl covered with cold water. Cover by about 4 inches with the water. Let the beans soak overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- Drain the soaked beans in a colander. Discard the soaking water. Rinse the beans with cool water.
- Cut Ham into bite size pieces.
- Chop onion
- Add Olive oil into a stock pot and sauté onion, spices, and spice packet from 15 bean mix for 2 to 3 minutes. Add ham and sauté for one additional minute.
- When the Onions have softened and are translucent, add the Ham.
- Stir the Ham into the onion mixture. Sauté the Ham for one or two additional minutes.
- Stir in the beans, chicken broth and water to stockpot with the Ham. If you are lucky enough to have a ham bone place it into the stockpot.
- The beans and ham should be covered by about 3 inches of liquid. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. NOTE: If the liquid level is low, you can add more water or chicken broth to ensure that the beans and ham are fully covered.
- Reduce the heat to simmer, cook uncovered, for one hour, stirring occasionally. Serve!
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