Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Southwest White Bean Soup


For my Fall table for two, I flipped my Big Star Quilt that I made to the underside.  It has a pretty vine pumpkin pattern on it.  My corn candles are from long ago. 


My Fall soup tureen is from Sur La Table, where I also worked part-time.  I would buy deals when we had a 40% off sale!! 


I just love these soup pots that I bought for 25 cents at a garage sale.



This soup recipe comes from mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/. The original recipe can be found here.    Miz Helen is a dear, sweet friend that I met through blogging.  She posts wonderful recipes and has a linky party called  Full Plate Thursday.  She also posts her weekly menu every Monday, if you'd like to check that out.

Here's my adapted version of Southwest White Bean Soup.  Miz Helen calls this a stew, but mine was more like a soup.  It would be a wonderful recipe for vegetarians.  We happen to love ham, so I added a ham hock.  Next time I will use an even meatier ham bone.  It's a  soup that packs some heat and really warms the tummy on a cold night.  It's delicious with a slice of cornbread, found here. 
Southwest White Bean Soup
1 1b. bag of dry Great Northern Beans
2- 10 oz. cans of Rotel
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ham hock or 2 cups ham, chopped, optional
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 t. cumin
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Sort through the beans making sure all the beans are good. Rinse the beans well. 
  • Bring the dry beans to a rolling boil in 8 cups of water. Boil for 2 minutes, cover and take off heat. 
  • Let the beans sit covered for 1 hour. 
  • Pour the beans and water (making sure you have 8 cups of water) into a slow cooker.
  • Add the onion, garlic and Rotel.
  • If you are adding the ham hock or chopped ham, add it to the slow cooker at this time.
  • Cook on low 8-10 hours, or until beans are cooked through. Remove the ham hock or ham bone and pick through and add the meat back to the slow cooker. 
  • At the end of the cooking time add the salt, pepper, cumin and cilantro.
  • Simmer for 20 minutes to allow the seasonings to set.


I often don't need a whole bunch of fresh herbs.  Here's My tip for saving fresh herbs, having read this in Good Housekeeping  magazine:
Process fresh herbs in a food processor until chopped (or just chop by hand).  Add a drizzle of olive oil.  Spread this mixture out flat onto waxed paper and freeze.  When frozen, put in a freezer proof food bag.  You can then break off big or little bits to add to soups, etc.
                                                                  I am sharing with:
                                                                 Mix It Up Monday!
                                                                On the Menu Monday
                                                                   Tabletop Tuesday



37 comments:

  1. Morning, Kitty! Oh, I just love little white beans and I'm sure I'd love this soup. thank you for the recipe and I'm going to make this and light the fireplace. ;)
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia:)

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  2. Good Morning Kitty,
    Your Southwest White Bean Soup looks so good, I need to get this on my menu again. Glad you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for sharing!
    Miz Helen

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  3. Kitty, Love your table & the white bean soup looks so good. I love white beans so I'll surely be making this!

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  4. Love Miz Helen's recipes. I have her cookbook and I need to try this one. Wonderful tip about the herbs. I need to do that. xo

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  5. You are such a good cook, Kitty! Your table looks really pretty too.

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  6. I just made a black bean soup for dinner tonight, would be fun to try your white bean version. There is chilli powder as well as cumin in my recipe. What is Rotel?
    Your table has a nice autumn flare to it and I'm glad you make your cornbread the same as me. I made it once with the corn niblets in as is common in many recipes but didn't like it at all.
    Bon Appétit Kitty.
    Judith

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  7. Hi Kitty, stopping by via Sandi's Home party. Love your table, it looks so warm and inviting and I really see home all over it. Soup sounds PERFECT right about now. I've had the same soup bowls for many years. We use them for French onion soup. Okay, now I'm hungry. ;)
    Thank you for sharing.
    Much love,
    Marcia

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  8. Looks like my next soup to try! Love me some Rotel and I find it interesting that the cumin gets added at the end! Your tureen is beautiful Kitty, that's a very welcoming table:@)

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  9. OK, this is a recipe I can totally get on board with...no problem! It's supposed to get really cold here over the weekend (after unseasonable warm temps in the mid 70s tomorrow and Friday!), and this would be a perfect lunch to warm our tummies! I think the Rotel is what puts it over the top for me. I like soups with a little kick, and the Rotel should do just that. Yes, ma'am...we're going to be eating GOOD this weekend!!! Now, I just have to find a store that has a ham hock in it. I've not seen them in any of the stores out here in the 'burbs. A trip into the city is definitely in order! CUTE little soup crocks!!!!!! Great bargain on them! Stay warm, friend!

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  10. Oh what a great soup! so delicious and I LOVE that tureen - I also love Sur La Table - I think I'd like to work there too!! scrumptious soup
    mary x

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  11. I just love your new fall Sur La Table!!! I just got my new catalog and have drooled all over it! What a beautiful piece!
    Kitty, thanks so much for joining TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS and bringing this yummy yummy bean soup! This is one I'm going to make! Look for it on next week's ON THE MENU MONDAY! yummy!

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  12. Beautiful table. Love that tureen! My husband likes to make the Senate White Bean Soup recipe. Will need to compare these.........Sarah

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  13. Looks yummy! We like can soup, and I might do this next.

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  14. That sounds so good! Love your tureen too. I finally got a soup tureen last year and love it! Soup sounds reall good right now....OR chili:):) XO, Pinky

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  15. The soup sounds amazing. Your tureen is GAWGEOUS! Love your corn candles too - very nice Friend.

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  16. There is nothing like soup during the fall and winter and you sure know how to serve it up with style. The tureen and the soup bowls are stunning!

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  17. My husband would love this recipe Kitty as it has a ham hock and beans. I'm saving this for him. He likes to try new recipes so this will give him an excuse to make some. (And I know he will eat every bite of it too.)...smile!

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  18. PS....I can't believe you got those crocks for a quarter. I am SO jealous. I've wanted some like that forever!! Great buy!!

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  19. Good morning Kitty,
    I just love your table setting with your little quilt and crocks! The soup sounds good and great tip on how to preserve herbs. Thank you for sharing this at my HOME and enjoy the rest of your week.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  20. Boy, this is my kind of soup, especially with there being a bit of coolness in the Houston air. A quilter? I like that.

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  21. Everything looks so great!
    Lovely warm table setting and a delicious soup.
    What could say "home" better than that?!
    blessings..Trish

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  22. I love this recipe Kitty! It's like Senate Bean Soup, but with a kick. I don't know how you managed to take home any pay working at Sur La Table. I would end up owing them money if I worked there :)

    Hugs,
    Susan and Bentley

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  23. What a lovely table for the great looking beans. I love the soup bowls with handels. I love your tureen. Thank you for yuour sweet and kind comment, lovely lady and for the recipe share. Big hugs,
    FABBY

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  24. Your soup looks delicious. I could eat some right now especially with my cough. Beautiful tureen!...Christine

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  25. Very creative! Love those gorgeous fall colours. Warm and cozy setting.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Hope to see you on my blog:)

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  26. Hi Kitty :-) Another winning soup recipe. My friends and I are having a "soup exchange" for Christmas this year. Should be fun!

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  27. Your table is lovely, and I know we would love the soup recipe! Those corn candles are too cute!

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  28. What a lovely fall tablescape, Kitty. I love the soup pots--wish I could find some like that at a yard sale :) If I worked at Sur la Table, I bet I would never bring a paycheck home! The bean soup recipe sounds delicious as well. So nice to hear from you over at my blog, and glad you enjoyed the chalkboard tv cover. Have a great weekend!

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  29. Hi Kitty,
    Your soup looks so good, I need to make it again. Hope you have a fantastic weekend and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

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  30. After adjusting my settings I can now LEAVE A COMMENT ! woot, my brain is on overload. Your soup is on tomorrows menu here. I'm going to make some cheesy biscuits and a tomato salad. LOL, Love your Soup Tureen, happy we both posted our on the same week ! Thanks for the visit to my blog. Happy Fall, jules ~

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  31. Your table setting is gorgeous! Love the serving dishes. As for the soup, it sounds like the perfect meal for this cold weather. Thanks for sharing:)

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  32. Perfect soup to warm us up as these days get chillier. Love the tureen.

    So happy to have Seasonal Sundays up and running again - and to have you be a part of it!

    - The Tablescaper

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  33. Kitty~ Your soup sound delicious and is one we would enjoy! I love your gorgeous tureen!

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  34. Sounds delicious! Perfect for this cold, cold Sunday we are having.

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  35. Congratulations Kitty!
    Enjoy your new Red Plate, your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Wishing you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving!
    Miz Helen

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