Fast, Healthy, YUMMY – {15 Bean Soup}
February 26th, 2013 | 
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All ingredients except the optional ham hock and pork shoulder.
I’m a soupie. Is that a word? Well nevermind. It should be.
I’m finally getting around to posting my favorite bean soup recipe.
Why?
Because I was late yesterday, that’s why. You know, school, dishes, laundry, toddler—broken down car. These things can make a girl go half-crazy in the dinner making department.
{enter pressure cooker}
“Welcome, highly-favored kitchen appliance!”
Electric pressure cookers save time and money!
I.love.my.pressure.cooker. Period. And it got me out of a jam last night. At 4:4o I arrived home from the mechanic shop, tired and frustrated. {yes, you heard me right.} I looked in my pantry. BEHOLD! A bag of beans. Fifteen different kinds of beans to be exact. Dinner! By 4:55 I had all the ingredients in my pressure cooker and by 6:15 we were eating yummy, healthy soup.
YES it works in a crock pot too. Just put this same recipe in your slow cooker and give it 6-8 hours on low.
The magic is found in the spices so here you are:
15 Bean Soup
9 cups chicken broth
15 bean soup mix (1 lb) – this mix is in most grocery stores. It’s about $3.20/bag.
1 large onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
4 stalks diced celery
2 bay leaves
2 tsp diced garlic (from a jar is fine)
1 T thyme and rosemary
1.5 T parsely
1 tsp ham base if you don’t have a ham hock, or leave it out. It’s good with or without.
Black pepper to taste
Alternative:
If you’re in the mood for a more meaty bean soup, add about a pound of pork shoulder, diced into bite-sized pieces. I didn’t use it this time. When using ham base, I LOVE Penzey’s. Here’s a picture … a little goes a long way!
Directions:
Place all this stuff in your pressure cooker. Set it to “soup” and set your timer for 35 minutes. When it’s done, allow the pressure to go down on it’s own. This will add about 15 more minutes to your total time.
When you’re ready to serve, take out the ham hock and the bay leaves. Voila! No more waiting all day for your beans to cook. Pressure cooking is a busy moms best friend. Give it a try!
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I’ve never heard of an electric pressure cooker! I have the stove top kind, but don’t use it because I’m afraid of it due to having an electric stove and not being able to control the temperature quickly (I did use it a little when I had a gas stove). Please share about how your electric cooker works…what you love about it, must have features, brand recommendation… anything else someone should know before buying one. Thanks!
Does the bean mix have some kind of flavor packet in it or do you just use the spices you indicated? It has been a long time since I bought a bean soup mix (I’ve just been buying individual kinds of beans) and I am remembering it had a seasoning packet. I have lots of dried beans. I’m wondering if I put together my own mix if I will be lacking something.
We love soup at our house!!!
First off, I am also a soupie and it SHOULD be a word! Second, I am going to beg for a counter top pressure cooker for my anniversary. Being a foodie, I never have a problem getting fun and functional kitchen stuff for birthdays, Christmas, etc. Third, thank you for your recipe, and for your encouraging and inspiring posts. Keep them coming, please! God bless you!
I use this same soup mix and love it. I don’t eat pork, so I use chicken. It has a flavor packet that I throw out, because I have no idea what’s in it except a bunch of salt and chemicals. I then just salt & pepper to taste. I don’t have a pressure cooker, so I crockpot this soup and it comes out great. But you’re tempting me to start looking at pressure cookers.
I agree! Throw out that packet
Let me know if you try pressure cooking!
I’m a “soupie” too. I have never made bean soup before. I’m not sure my boys would eat it, though I’m willing to give it a go. Most of the soups I have made in the past are creamy soups, like ale and cheddar or sweet potato and rosemary. I usually make them in my Dutch oven pot.
Now that we are getting out of the cooler temps, do you have any warm weather soups you like to make?