Let it snow - time to make another soup

Bean and Vegetable Soup

Nothing warms your bones like a good bowl of soup.  

My father loved soup so most nights our dinner started with a soup.  My mother made this vegetable bean and barley soup with beef marrow bones.  My mother did not make stock, she just put the bones in water, brought it to a boil, skimmed it and then put everything else in and let it cook.  The bones were the best part, we would suck out the marrow and eat the "soup meat" attached.

Once again I have to be innovative as my girls do not eat beef (my brother said I should take out the bones before they see them!)

You can use chicken or vegetable broth or bullion.  I have chicken bones in the freezer.  Bone in chicken breasts are much cheaper than skinless boneless, when they are on sale for $1.99 a pound I buy several packages.  I take out the bone and skin them which is surprisingly easy.  I then package my skinless boneless breasts freezing what I don't need that day.  I package all the bones to freeze and use later for soup.  The skin goes in the green bin.

I will start the soup with bones as my mother did - just not beef bones!

It is so easy to make soup, you can put this on in the morning and leave it cook all day to serve at dinner. 

This is cheap, easy to make, hearty and healthy.  It is quick to prepare but takes a few hours to cook.  I like to make a lot at one time and freeze in serving size containers for a quick warm up when needed.

Both girls are out tonight.  We will have some of the soup as a starter for our dinner tonight  and tomorrow we can have it again.

I have smoked ribs in the freezer.  I have a smoker which I love to play with when the weather is warmer.

I make enough at the end of the season to have in the freezer for the winter.  I still have smoked chicken, pulled pork, smoked salmon and smoked brisket.  Tonight we eat the last of the ribs.

Bean and Vegetable Soup

This recipe makes a big pot of soup, you can half it if it is too much

Soup Mix

Ingredients
3 liter of soup stock (beef, vegetable or chicken) or                                                

4 beef bones or bones from 6-8 chicken breasts wrapped in cheesecloth

1 large carrot or 3 small 

2 stalks of celery

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

450 grams packaged Soup Mix (dry beans and peas and barley in a bag)

Salt and pepper to taste (be careful with the salt if you are using bullion)

Option 1/2 cup small pasta - preferably whole wheat

Instructions
In a large stock pot if using bones add one liter of water and bones.  Bring to a boil and skim off any grey foam.

remove from soup

If using stock or bullion add to pot and bring to a boil.

Vegetables in the Processor

Chop celery, carrot and onion.  Put celery, carrot, onion and garlic in food processor with metal blade and process until chopped.  If you don't have a food processor, finely chop the vegetables.

Add chopped vegetables to the pot along with the Soup Mix.  

soup cooking

Bring to a boil and reduce to low and let simmer for at least 3 hours.

Bones in strainer

Remove bones put ins strainer over a bowl to catch any liquid.  Put any liquid back into the soup.

Immersion Blender

Continue to cook until beans are soft.   I like to use my immersion blender for a minute just to puree some of the soup to thicken it.  You can also add a small pasta, I like small whole wheat alphabet pasta, but I am out so I will throw a handful of what I do have - whole wheat macaroni.                                

Season to taste with salt and lots fresh ground pepper.