Thursday Recipe - Nightshade-Free "Chili" Soup

Okay, it isn't really chili because it has no chili powder in it. Or tomatoes. Or green chilies. (Those are all part of the nightshade family, which I'm allergic to.) But it's a good enough version to replace it. It works great in a crockpot, too.

Use fresh squash or pumpkin in this soup. The canned pumpkin is too fine of a puree. I like to bake pumpkins after Halloween, then freeze the flesh in old whipped topping bowls. It keeps for months and is really easy to just chuck into soups like these. No need for thawing, just add an extra 30-60 minutes to the cook time. You can also use baked sweet potatoes, butternut squash (no need to pre-cook), or other yellow-orange flesh winter squash like acorn, hubbard, turban, banana, etc. I should do a whole post on squash...

We found a lovely Stripetti squash at the store the other day. It's a cross between delicata and spaghetti squash. My daughter had some as noodles, then we threw the rest into this soup. Tasty stuff.

To bake squash or pumpkin, slice it in half and scoop out the seeds. Large pumpkins may need to be sliced smaller, depending on how big the pumpkin is and how much your oven can handle. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Add 1-2 T. butter and 1/4 c. water to each half, just drop it into the center hole where the seeds were. I usually skip this with the pumpkin because it's usually larger and cut into flatter pieces. Cover the squash loosely with foil, mostly to keep it moist. Bake at 375-400°F for 1-2 hours, until it is easily pierced with a fork. Spaghetti squash should easily flake into strands.

Pull it out and let it cool, then scoop the flesh off the rind. You should have plenty of delicious squash flesh for use in pies, muffins, custards, or soups like this one.

Nightshade-Free Chili Soup

2 c. dried pinto beans
5 c. water

5 c. water
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 c. cooked spaghetti squash or fresh pumpkin (not canned pumpkin)
1 c. cooked, crumbled hamburger
2 t. salt
2 t. oregano
1 t. ground black pepper
1 t. cumin
1 t. celery seed

Rinse off the beans, then place in a 3-qt saucepan with the 5 c. water. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let them sit for about an hour.

Drain beans. Rinse several times. Add 5 c. fresh water to the saucepan, bring to a boil.

Dump pan of beans with the water into a 4-qt crockpot or slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Remove lid and give it a good stir. Add more salt, pepper, or cumin to taste. Cover and continue to cook for another 2-4 hours, until soup is thick and beans are tender.

Serve hot with plenty of sour cream, shredded cheese, or whatever you like to top your chili with. Half my family, the half that can eat tomatoes and peppers, added salsa to their soup.

Thursday Recipe - Watchagot Stew, Bean Style

We had watchagot stew again this week. For those who don't know, this is the soup where someone asks, "What's for dinner?" and the answer is, "I don't know. What cha got?" You then open the fridge and see what you got. That gets thrown together in a pot to make watchagot stew. Get it? Got it. Good. (Bonus points if you get the movie reference.)

We have a lot of old food storage items in our basement right now. Long story, but we inherited most of it. Some of it is ours that we just forgot about because it got stored in the wrong closet. It's amazing what you discover when you clean out your basement. My husband found a ten bean mix that needed used, so he dumped 3-4 c. of dried beans in a crockpot and soaked them overnight, then cooked them the next day. He was staring at the beans and wondering what to do with them. Plain beans are not very tasty. So we dressed them up with what we had. It turned out pretty tasty.

Watchagot Stew, Bean Style

3-4 c. dried beans, any variety (lima, pinto, black, red, kidney, garbanzo, lentils, split peas, etc.)
6 c. water
1 t. salt
1 t. ground black pepper
1/4 onion soup mix
5 tomatoes, chopped small
1 bell pepper, chopped small
1 onion, chopped small
2 c. ham, chopped
4 carrots, sliced

Soak beans in water overnight. Drain and rinse. Add enough water to cover beans. Cook on low in a crockpot for 6 hours, until mostly done.

Add in everything else plus whatever else you have laying around that needs used that smells like it would go with the other flavors, like zucchini or green beans or corn. Cook on high for 2-3 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Turn to low and hold for as long as needed.

Makes about 3 quarts of soup.

Thursday Recipe - Ham Hock Soup

It's summer. It's hot. So why am I posting a soup recipe? Because it's simple and easy, and if you cook it in a crockpot, you can leave your oven and stove off for the day. Plus, it's a healthy soup and lighter than you think. Just plan on at least 6-8 hours of cooking time.

Ham Hock Soup

1 lb. ham hocks or bone-in ham (If you buy a spiral sliced ham, save the bone for this soup.)
1 lb dried white beans or navy beans
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 c. finely diced onion
1 t. black pepper
3 bay leaves
salt to taste

Rinse beans in cold water. Put in a large pot, at least 3 quarts, and add 6 c. water. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and cover. Set aside for at least an hour but not more than two. Drain beans.

To the beans, add 6 c. of fresh water, the ham hocks, carrots, onion, pepper, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer for at least 2 hours (4 on high in a crockpot, 6 on low). Test beans for doneness. They should be soft. Remove ham hocks from the soup. Carefully, they will be HOT, remove the meat. Discard bones, skin, and fat. Shred the meat and put it back into the soup. Taste and add salt as needed. Cover and simmer for another 30 minutes (1 hour on high in the crockpot).

Remove bay leaves and discard before serving soup. Garnish with chopped green onions or croutons as desired.

Makes 2 quarts of soup.

Dinner? Navy Bean Soup

I was inspired by a friend to start posting recipes on my blog. So tonight's dinner is Navy Bean Soup, an old-fashioned recipe that is so satisfying, especially in winter. Easy and inexpensive, too.

1 lb dried navy beans
1 small onion, chopped
5 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 t. garlic powder
2 bay leaves
1/2 t. paprika
2 t. celery salt
2 c. cubed cooked ham
ground black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

Soak beans in cold water overnight. Drain. Place in 4 qt crockpot. Add about 6 c. hot water. Cook on high for 2 - 3 hours. Add onion, carrots, and spices. Cook on low 4 hours, until vegetables are done and beans are soft. Add ham. Cook another hour. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with sourdough bread or crackers.