Thanks for the Ping and the interesting post.
I used to love winter when we lived in california. I know, don’t laugh. We had a cabin in the Sierra so I really did experience a real winter! But I could drive home to the valley and warm temperatures anytime. It’s totally different here in East tennessee. Rather than expecting spring in 2 months, it’ll be at least 4 more.
Time to make more soup! I was thinking soup could be a prepper thread topic. You can put leftovers in it so nothing goes to waste. It can sit and cook on its own without a lot of interference. It can provide a lot of vitamins and minerals because of the variety of vegetables in it. You don’t necessarily need meat but it’s a good way of using up the tough cuts and amounts too small to serve again.
“I was thinking soup could be a prepper thread topic.”
YES! I make soup from scratch all the time. I’ll have a few good recipes to share. :)
Here’s a great easy flavorful soup, served w/
vegetable salsa, from a famous LA restaurant
BLACK BEAN SOUP
Best made at least one day in advance.
ING 1/2 pound smoked slab bacon with rind
1 1/2 cups ea fine-chp celery,onion, carrots
1 bay leaf
1 tbl minced garlic
1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
4 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fine-chp fresh oregano leaves
or 1 tablespoon dried oregano, crumbled
3 tablespoons tomato paste
16 cups rich chicken broth, preferably homemade and concentrated,
or canned broth may be substituted
1 pound (3 c) black turtle beans
or other black beans,
6 tbl freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt to taste, if desired
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
Salsa for garnish (see recipe)
Sour cream for garnish
METHOD Slice off and reserve the bacon rind. Cut the bacon into quarter-inch cubes. There should be about one and one-half cups. Put the bacon cubes and the rind into a heavy kettle or casserole and cook, stirring often, until rendered of fat; bacon cubes should be well-browned and crisp.
Add the onions, celery, carrots, bay leaf, garlic, thyme, 3 tbl cumin, black pepper and oregano. Stir/blend and cover closely. Cook about five min on moderately low heat. Careful of burning. Add tomato paste; stir briefly. Add chicken broth and BTB.
Rinse and drain beans and add. Cook, uncovered, over relatively high heat, two and one-half hours, skimming occasionally. Ready when the beans are soft and some of them have disintegrated. Stir in lime juice, cayenne, salt, coriander leaves and rest cumin. Discard bacon rind and bay leaf.
SERVE Ladle into individual soup bowls, salsa and sour cream on the side, to be added at will.
NOTES For those allergic to beans, substitute zucchini or your fave vege.
SALSA 1/2 cup finely chopped white or Spanish onions 2 cups unpeeled, unseeded, cored tomato cut into 1/4-inch cubes 1 1/2 teaspoons or more finely chopped fresh, seeded jalapeno peppers Salt to taste, if desired 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh coriander leaves 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice. Combine and blend well. Refrigerate til needed.