Cranberrybeansoup Recipes

Steps:

• Shuck the beans and discard any that are soft or blemished. You should have about 3 cups.
• Heat a 3 to 4-quart heavy pot over low heat and add the diced bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is crisp and golden brown.
• Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the onion, thyme, and bay leaf and saute, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 8 minutes, until the onion is tender but not browned.
• Add the beans and stock. Partially cover the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook the beans at a steady simmer over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are tender. Reduce the heat to low.
• Remove 2 cups of the chowder from the pot and puree in a food mill held over the pot so it falls directly back into the chowder, or puree in a food processor and return to the chowder. Add the tomatoes and their juices, along with the molasses, and let the chowder simmer slowly for another 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has chilled completely. Otherwise, let it sit at room temperature for up to an hour, allowing the flavors to meld.
• When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick. Ladle the chowder into cups and sprinkle with the slice scallions.
• Variation Dried Bean Chowder:
• Substitute 8 ounces dried shell beans, limas, or other white bean for the fresh shell beans. Soak them overnight in enough water to cover generously; drain. Depending on the bean you choose, the cooking time may be doubled or even longer. Follow the recipe and simmer until the beans are tender, adding water as necessary (about 1 cup) to compensate for the evaporation during the longer cooking time.
• Variation Cider and Bean Chowder:
• This idea also comes from the Shakers, who used sweet apple cider as the liquid in several of their soups. It adds a new dimension to the sweet-and-sour flavor of this chowder. Cider is pressed from late August through November, so you can try this in either the fresh or dried bean versions. Substitute 3 cups apple cider for 3 cups of the chicken stock (you will still use 2 cups of chicken stock).

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, rosemary and pancetta, if using, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook 2 more minutes; season with salt. Add the beans, 3 quarts water, the bay leaves and parmesan rind. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the beans are tender, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours.
• Uncover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Add the kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 6 more minutes. (The soup should be thick and creamy; thin with water, if necessary.)
• Remove the bay leaves, parmesan rind and pancetta, if used. Add the grated parmesan, parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Top with more olive oil and parmesan.

Steps:

• Soak the beans in cold water to cover overnight.
• Drain and place beans in a large saucepan with the onion, celery, and carrots. Cover with water, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until the beans are almost done, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, saute the pancetta until it renders its fat.
• Add the garlic cloves and saute.
• Add the tomatoes and parsley and cook for 15 minutes.
• Remove 2 cups of beans from the saucepan and puree them in a food mill or food processor. Stir the puree back into the soup.
• Add the tomato mixture and the spaghetti to the soup.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook the soup to warm it through.
• Garnish with minced garlic and a stream of olive oil.

Steps:

• For the beans: Rinse beans under cold water. Place in a stockpot and cover with 2 1/2 quarts cold water. On a large piece of cheesecloth, place the whole tomato, onion pieces, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, carrot and garlic and tie together to loosely contain contents. Add to pot and press to submerge. Bring to a boil, then simmer until beans are tender, about 45 minutes.
• For the soup: While beans cook, fill another large pot with 4 quarts water, add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil. Set aside a bowl of ice water. Add kale leaves to boiling water, blanch for 5 minutes, then use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer to ice water; reserve cooking water. When leaves are completely chilled, drain well, squeezing out excess water. Chop finely into slender strips and set aside.
• Return kale cooking water to a boil. Set aside a bowl of ice water. Prick each cherry tomato with a fork, blanch in boiling water for 5 seconds, then drain and place in ice water until chilled. Peel tomatoes and set aside. Reserve cooking liquid.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, combine olive oil, onion, garlic and a pinch of salt. Sauté until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes and sauté until tomatoes soften and begin to break up, about 5 minutes. Using a potato masher, gently crush tomatoes without destroying their shape.
• Drain cooked beans, reserving cooking liquid. Discard cheesecloth and its contents. Return half the beans to pot, and mash with a potato masher until they are fairly smooth. Add remaining beans, contents of skillet, 1 quart cooking liquid from beans, and 1 quart cooking liquid from kale. Return to high heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Skim surface, discarding froth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add more cooking liquids, up to 1 quart, as desired; broth should remain thin.
• To serve, add chopped kale and cook only until heated through, 30 to 60 seconds. Place in heated soup bowls, and garnish each bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of marjoram and parsley.

Steps:

• In a heavy soup kettle, melt the butter. Gently saute the chopped onions, celery and carrots until the vegetables are soft. Add the chicken broth. Rinse the hot pepper under running water to remove the seeds and inner white membrane. Add to the broth, together with the bay leaf and several grinds of pepper.
• Rinse the cranberries and pick them over to remove any that are spoiled. Roughly chop the berries on a wooden board or process them briefly in a food processor. Add to the broth and let simmer gently over low heat until the cranberries are soft and disintegrating into the broth.
• Add the cider to the broth. Mix well and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with sour cream if desired. The soup may also be prepared ahead of time and reheated before serving.

Steps:

• In a r4-quart sucepan, mix water, sugar, cinnamon sticks & cloves.
• Bring to boil over high heat, then add cranberries & return to a boil.
• Reduce heat & cook until cranberries pop, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat & stir in lemon juice & orange zest.
• Cool to room temperature, then chill about 4 hours in the refrigerator.
• When ready to serve, top each bowl of soup with a dollop of sour cream.
• Refrigerate any leftovers.

Steps:

• Wash leek greens well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain well. Tuck bay leaves and herb sprigs into leek greens and tie tightly in a bundle with string to make a bouquet garni.
• Bring water, bouquet garni, onion, and chile to a boil in a 5-quart heavy pot and simmer, partially covered, 20 minutes. Add beans and simmer gently, stirring occasionally and adding 1 tablespoon kosher salt toward end of cooking, until tender, about 25 minutes for fresh beans or 50 minutes to 1 1/4 hours for soaked dried. Discard bouquet garni, and discard onion and chile if desired.
• Just before serving, transfer beans with a slotted spoon to a dish and season with kosher salt. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with mint and thyme.

Steps:

• Cook and stir olive oil and bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until bacon is fully cooked and begins to crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off excess grease, leaving a teaspoon in the pan.
• Stir shallots and salt into the cooked bacon; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in beans, chicken broth, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the beans begin to swell, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Uncover and continue cooking bean and bacon mixture until the liquid reduces and beans are tender, 5 to 10 more minutes. Add rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. Adjust levels of salt and black pepper. Remove from heat, stir in extra-virgin olive oil, hot chile paste, and fresh herbs.

Steps:

• Rinse beans. Place in a saucepan; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let soak, covered, 1-4 hours. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid., Transfer beans to a 4-qt. slow cooker. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook, covered, on low until beans are tender, 6-8 hours.