Soup Night...Spanish Style

Soup Night...Spanish Style

 If you follow my blog, you know I am once again “a new bride.” Our first anniversary is coming up in April, but until then? We are still Newlyweds! 

 

As Mike and I have both been widowed and we are both past our, uh, …let’s say “past our fifties…uh…okay…past our sixties.” I’m not exactly learning my way around the kitchen as I did as an eighteen-year-old bride to Tom Waters.  

 

Still, I am learning …or at least trying new recipes for foods Mike likes. A few have been new to me. (If you missed my blog on making picadillo, I’ll put a link at the bottom for you.) Picadillo is now one of our favorites. I don’t always make it with rice. We like it with mashed potatoes as well. It is quick and easy and remains one of Mike’s favorites.

 

Another favorite food he mentioned to me recently, now that our Florida weather has cooled a bit, is Spanish Bean Soup. (By the way, if you live in the north, don’t ask what “cooled a bit” means unless you are a glutton for punishment.) 

 

I looked up Spanish Bean Soup on the internet and realized it is what we used to call Garbanzo Bean Soup. It is warm and delicious. And easy. Life doesn’t get much better than that. 

 

So…Here You Go! Grab the ingredients and when the day looks to be a bit chilly, make a pot of Spanish Bean Soup.

The Ingredients? Easy.

 

Fair warning: Soak the beans in salted water overnight and plan your day so you can cook your soup on low for a few hours before dinnertime. I allowed 3 ½ hours cook time. That is “on the stove cook time.”

 

Ingredients:

·  Dried Garbanzo Beans (Also known as Chick Peas) My grocer had one option: a 12 ounce package of beans

·  Three packs of Spanish seasoning. (I used Sazon Goya but there are others out there. It will have garlic, cumin, and saffron in it.)

·  Minced garlic. I used one large clove. You could probably use garlic powder or even dried garlic from the spice rack.

·  Red potatoes, cubed (How many? Hmmm...)

·  Ham and/or sliced beef sausage or sliced beef kielbasa. I used both sliced beef sausage and, because I couldn’t find the ham I wanted, I found a small piece of pork at the meat counter that proved to be perfect.

·  Chicken stock and water

·  Salt and pepper

 

Pour your beans in a large kettle. I drained mine first and saved the water. Add the Spanish seasoning, minced garlic, cubed red potatoes, and ham and/or sliced beef sausage. Pour liquids over the ingredients (I used about half chicken stock and half water) until the meat, beans, and all are covered.)

 

As for the salt and pepper…I just put some in. Remember, you can always add some after if you need it, but you can’t take it out! I’ve also learned through years of cooking, (See second paragraph) that it takes less salt when you put it in the cooking water than it does if you add it after cooking.

 

Bring the soup to boil then turn the heat to low or simmer and cook for at least three and a half hours.

The soup is excellent...
and as we ARE in the South,
it is especially good with
a tall glass of Sweet Tea!

By the way, I thickened my soup a bit by adding a couple of spoonfuls of mashed potatoes. 

As you can see, this is a very forgiving recipe. Play with it Make it your own. Most of all…enjoy a warm bowl of soup on a cold February evening. And…let me know how your soup turns out! Better yet, share your favorite soup recipe on my blog or on FB and tag me!

Hmmm...It turns out making soup is a bit like writing a novel. A few staple ingredients, a bit of spice, and a twist at the end! Who knew? 

 

AND…AS PROMISED…HERE’S THE LINK TO MAKING DELICIOUS PICADILLO!