Categories: Anaasazi beans, Beans, Cabbage, March2012, SBF, Soups

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried Anasazi Beans, soaked overnight in crockpot
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 cups very finely chopped cabbage
• 2 cups ham, cut into small dice
• ham rind if available
• (remove for the last few hours of cooking time)
• 8 cups water (you can also use partly ham stock if you have it)
• 2 T dried parsley
• 1-2 T garlic powder
• 2-3 tsp. onion powder
• 2-3 bay leaves
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• ham flavored concentrate or ham bouillon (optional but good)
• balsamic vinegar for serving, optional

Directions

1. used a 4.5 quart crock pot to make the soup in these photos, and it was filled to the brim (including the ham rinds) so if you have a smaller size you will need to reduce the recipe.

2. Soak beans overnight in cold water in the crockpot. The next morning, drain beans, discard soaking water, and put beans back in the crockpot with 8 cups water (or a combination of water and ham stock if you have it.) Cut up celery, carrots, onions, cabbage, and ham. Put all ingredients in crock pot (including ham rind if you’re lucky enough to have some) with dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and bay leaves, and start to cook on high. (It may look like there isn’t enough liquid, but in the crock pot foods give up liquid and you end up with more than you started with.)

3. (I cook this soup on high for 10 hours or longer, until about half of the beans have disintegrated into the soup and the cabbage is mostly dissolved. My large crock pot is the original “slow-cooker” type, which may cook a bit less hot than some. If you have a newer model, you might want to cook on high 4-5 hours, then reduce to low.)

4. After about 8 hours, remove ham rind if using, then taste for seasoning and ham bouillon or ham flavor concentrate if needed. (I like Goya Ham Flavor Concentrate or ham buillon from Penzeys. Use of this is optional, and will depend on how much flavor is in your ham. If you have really good ham you might not need it.) I often add more garlic powder and onion powder at this time too.

5. Cook until beans are starting to break apart and the cabbage has mostly dissolved into the soup. Serve hot, with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar if desired. This soup freezes well.

6. Stovetop Instructions:

7. You could cook this on the stove if you don’t have a crock pot or want it done sooner. For stovetop cooking, add all ingredients to heavy soup pot and simmer about 3 hours, or until beans are very well done and cabbage has disintegrated into the soup. I would increase the amount of water I started out with by several cups if I cooked it on the stove, since some of the liquid will evaporate. Check for seasoning after a few hours, and add more ham buillon, garlic powder, and onion powder as desired.

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