"Senate Navy Bean Soup - My Way..."

“Senate Navy Bean Soup - My Way…”

 

First, you enjoy a Spiral Sliced Smithfield Ham sometime during the year... and freeze the meaty hambone for later.  Next make some chicken stock from scratch... freeze some for later.

 

Welcome to Later.  Take a big stockpot,  Put in the frozen yet meaty hambone and cover it with thawed chicken stock. Add an equal amount of water into the pot.  Set stove to simmer the pot contents.  Next, three sweet or Vidalia onions - peel, cut in half then cut each half into eigths.  Drop in pot.  Then two carrots, peel, split in half and then thin slice the halves... drop in pot.  Next, take a celery heart - thin chop - add to pot.  Next three bay leaves - I prefer turkish for the woodsy flavor - drop in pot.  a full palm of chopped or jarred Parsley - drop in pot.  Next, Garlic - two cloves, peel, crush, smoosh and add to pot.  Now a cup of sweet-ish white wine - pour in.  Cover but leave it cracked for steam to escape and not boilover.  Simmer.

 

Now Two pounds of dry Navy beans.  Prep them if you want overnight - but I can't wait.  Clean  and rinse em, divide into two three quart pots (or such as you have) fill with water and put on heat til the boil... I boil em for five mins... works for me though the books and package say two is ok.  Turn off the heat and cover em - for a FULL hour though a couple of extra mins don't hurt if you aren't in a hurry.  Then drain em, rinse and drain again.  Add em to the stock pot.  Stir a little from time to time... keep the heat low to cook but not burn.

 

Next, take one of those now empty pots... peel and slice your favorite (it is a taste and texture thing - quite personal, so use what YOU like) potatoes in smaller chunks.  You KNOW how to make masheds... USE butter and milk and a sweet onion.  when done cover them and set aside.

 

 

I give the beans a couple of hours... stir every so often... as they cook I leave the pot cover cracked to avoid boilovers.  Add cups of water as the liquid level drops...  don't be afraid to taste and check for doneness.  At the point the bone has been in the pot for three hours all the goodness and meat and fat/softened gristle should be off the bone.  Use tongs to grasp the larger chunks and put on a plate.  Get the bone/bones out too.  Use a fork to separate the meat into bites and scrape them back into the pot.  Trash what you don't want to eat.  Personally I like a lil bit of the ham fat when it's split up like that.

 

When the beans ARE done - scoop out about half into the other empty pot.  Having some onion, carrot, celery, ham etc is ok.  Also add in some of the stock pot liquid... make that prep pot at least half full.  Puree it all - set it aside.

 

Now, a sauté pan...stick of butter...melt - don't burn... add half cup of flour and stir and stir and stir...again don't burn.  Pour in a cup of milk...stir.  Add in the pureed bean mix...stir, stir, stir.

 

Add the mix to the stock pot and stir, stir, stir more.

 

Scoop the masheds into the stock pot... and stir stir stir... add some black pepper to taste.  Stir again cover but leave cracked and simmer.  Add more liquid if you need.  When ready to serve sprinkle a lil Cayenne Pepper for a touch of heat (just a lil).

 

Yum

A crusty, warm Italian Bread with butter goes NICE!!

 

Chris

Author's Note

feel free

Reviews

[Will Neill]

Great Story Chris, I think I'll give this another review once I get the ingredients together.
Will.

[Chris]

great for a cold, wintry-blowy day

[Lucifer Jones]

I'm hungry now... But smiling, as you made me feel like I was sitting in my grandmothers kitchen so many years ago.

[Tom]

I'm salivating after reading this!

What a stupendous recipe, penned with poetic culinary aplomb !

[Chris]

It really, really does taste good Tom.

[Joiedevivre]

HEY!! ha i'm gonna try this, thanks. Nicely written also, can almost taste it!

[Chris]

It really is good... takes time but the taste IS yum. A good crusty and butter rich bread OR a good Herbed Olive-oil to dip also adds to the experience.

[Joiedevivre]

mmm-mmm! lovely

[Angi]

It is starting to get cold here and I just happen to have a big ole meaty hambone hangin' outin my freezer! You had me grinning when you said, 'Welcome to later' and 'crush and smoosh the garlic!' This is gonna be made in my house very soon. Thank you, Chris. Angi~

[Chris]

It IS awesome...I have one container left...out of four.

[Diana]

I loved reading this...like a homestyle cookbook.

[Chris]

Hi Diana...I was asked to share the recipe

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Mmmm ... Mmmm ... Mmmm ... THIS sounds DIVINE! Now, I'm hungry.

My only sadness. Smithfield is no longer an American company as it has been bought out by the Chinese.

[Chris]

Yeah... a sad day but, there are others still owned and made here.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

For now. :-)

[Chris]

business has greed... seldom loyalty to such as we the mere customers... the holy buck... or Yaun...

[Frieda P]

Had to look twice, thought I had stumbled into the Food Network....love your chef'y terms Chris...."Garlic - two cloves, peel, crush, smoosh" sounds like this one was made with love....I like a lot of cayenne by the way...buon appetito!

[Sheila Kline]

It sounds delicious - first of all, I must remember to save from that delicious Smithfield ham, and then from there the prep time involves many steps, the stir, stir, and stir some more but in the end, I am sure it would be worth the time to make! And certainly makes enough servings to share with family and friends which I particularly like!!

I sent my sister pumpkin bread and warm spiced fruit tea today and she sent back delicious beef roast with all the trimmings so I am all for sharing.....lol I could see me sharing some of this soup with her and my neighbors! Wonderful fellowship over a bowl of soup!

The warm Italian bread with butter must make it even extra special!

Thank you for sharing with us your excellent cooking skills Chris!

[olla]

someone in the kitchen to chat with and keep the coffee cups full while the soup simmers is the only thing I found missing..