Bean With Bacon Soup Makeover

Bye bye, Campbell's. No MSG-laden bean with bacon soup for us! Okay, I have actually found another brand that doesn't have that junk in it, but this version is better for us and even tastier! I use turkey bacon (it's not like you get the texture of perfectly crispy bacon in this dish anyway) and add a bunch of nice, leafy kale. I love the texture the kale adds, not to mention the nutritional punch it brings to the party. Cannellini beans add a lovely velvety finish while still retaining their shape, but you could really use any white beans you like or have on-hand. If you're looking for a more traditional texture, navy beans are perfect.

For a vegetarian version, you could even omit the bacon altogether. Just up the amount of salt and add a couple of drops of liquid smoke to finish.

Bean With Bacon Soup (4 large servings or 6 starter servings)

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil (omit if not using lean bacon)
• 1 medium cooking onion, finely chopped (white or yellow will do)
• 6 slices of turkey bacon, finely chopped
• 3 ribs celery, finely chopped
• 4 large carrots, finely chopped
• 4 c. chicken or vegetable stock (plus water, if needed)
• 3-4 c. white beans, cooked (or a 16 oz. can, drained) - I used cannellini beans
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 4 c. kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped (it will cook down in the soup)
• salt, to taste (you won't need much because of the bacon)
• pepper, to taste

1. Add oil to a hot dutch oven.
2. Add onion and cook until just beginning to caramelize. 
3. Add bacon and cook until onions are glossy and bacon is cooked through
4. Add thyme, carrot and celery and stir to incorporate until vegetables are just beginning to soften
5. Pour in stock and add tomato paste
6. Add beans
7. Simmer until veggies are cooked through
8. Add kale
9. Add more water, if needed, then adjust seasonings. I like mine pretty thick, more like a stew, but add more water if you're after something that is more soup-ish.

Enjoy!

Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

This little snack packs as much of a seasoned punch as you like. They're crunchy, full of fiber and very satisfying. For me, they're like a healthier version of wasabi peas. The whole thing can be seasoned to taste, depending on what you like. If you don't have chickpeas, there are other beans work just as well. Black beans, for example, are excellent with chili & lime seasoning. If spicy isn't your thing, just some herbed salt is also wonderful. The trick is using beans that keep their shape well and retain some structure (unlike, navy beans, for example, which have a high moisture content when cooked).

Roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzos)

• 1 c. cooked, whole chickpeas, drained (canned will also work)
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 tsp. Paprika
• 1/2 tsp. of cumin
• pinch of cayenne
• Sea salt, to taste

1) Preheat oven to 400 F
2) Pour beans into a mixing bowl. Add olive oil & mix. Season, adjusting to taste.
3) Pour mixture onto baking sheet and roast for approx. 15 min, then mix again on sheet.
4) Bake approx. 15 more minutes, or until crispy
5) Place on a clean, cool baking sheet to cool before storing in an airtight container

"Refried" Beans (aka Refritos)

I don't really have much fear in the kitchen. I'm willing to try just about anything, from wrangling homemade phyllo dough to wielding a scalpel for perfect sourdough cuts. Now that I have kevlar gloves, I am even allowed to use the mandolin again (I said I had little fear, not that I was infallible). There is one thing, however, that has always intimidated me: "refried" beans (aka "refritos").

I certainly haven't shied away from beans in general. I cook with them often. And I grew up surrounded by people who made amazing Mexican food. So, why have refritos (meaning "fried beans", nothing refried about them) intimidated me?

"Pinto Beans" by Brian Prechtel, U.S. Department of Agriculture

The answer is that I had a couple of failed attempts when I was much younger and the canned stuff didn't bother me much, so I stuck with it. I eventually upgraded to organic, vegetarian beans that tasted good. While I still like the canned version just fine, I wanted to get past this fear and just make them, darn it! If nothing else, I can reduce the sodium by making them myself, plus I just wanted to know I could do it. I do not like being a slave to a box or can. This time, instead of picking up another couple of cans for the pantry, I picked up a bag of dried pintos to pretty much force myself to try it again.

Now that I have much more experience under my belt and a bit of food science and training in my pocket, boy were they easier!

First, know that they cannot be rushed. Sure, you can do the quick soak method, but I do not generally like quick soaked beans nearly as much as soaking them a day ahead of time. This particular batch was a 3-day process and I'm not sure I would want to rush them further. I used pintos because it is what I grew up on and most enjoy, but you can use whatever type of beans you like. If you want to use canned beans, however, you should probably just buy them already fried (Bearitos can be found in most larger grocery stores in the US).

Here's what you need (this can easily be halved, but extra can also be frozen):
Dried beans (approx 2 cups)
2 TBL (divided) of some sort of flavorful fat (fat reserved from chorizo or bacon, lard, olive oil, whatever- I like to stick to fats that leave my arteries in tact)
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
salt
pepper
plenty of cool water (If you have sucky water like we do, I recommend using filtered)
other spices/herbs (optional)

On day 1, I put a cup of beans in a bowl of cool water to soak. I added 3x the water as beans. The end yield will be about 3 1/2 times the initial amount of dried beans.

Day 2, I gave the beans a rinse and added fresh water. In the evening, I gave the beans a really good rinse. This will help rinse away the more gaseous property of the beans. I then placed the drained beans into the pot with a 3-1 amount of fresh water to beans. I added a chopped onion, a minced clove of garlic and pat of Earth Balance for flavor. DO NOT ADD SALT YET. When cooking beans, salt and acids will make it very tough for the beans to soften properly. You don't want to add either of these things until the skins have opened a bit to allow flavor to get to the inside of the beans. I simmered them in the pot for about an hour.

Stir every 15 minutes or so and test for tenderness. If the water gets low enough that some beans are uncovered, add more or they will cook unevenly. Once completely tender, I took them off the heat, transferred the beans and cooking liquid to a container and put back in the fridge.

Day 3, I fried the beans! First, I added a mixture of Earth Balance and olive oil to a large heated skillet. If you have bacon or chorizo fat, it will be even more flavorful. Lard would also work. The point here is flavor. Once sizzling, I added the beans with a small amount of the cooking liquid. Add more liquid until you get the right consistency for you. I like mine on the wetter side. If you want them whole, you can leave them that way. I mashed about half with a potato masher because I like the texture.

Here's the part that was unexpected for me... I seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper. Period. I was ready to add cumin, paprika, etc, but I loved the way the flavor of the beans themselves shined with just the simple seasoning. If adding to a particular dish, I may add something else, but I think I'll otherwise leave them as-is. If I was looking for spicy beans, I'd probably add red pepper flakes or cayenne with some paprika and cumin to balance it out. They made great, simple tacos with fresh tomato and a sprinkle of crumbled feta.

Woo hoo! One fear smashed (pun every bit intended). Next... swimming with sharks? Okay, maybe I'll just stick to culinary fearlessness.