Winter Soup 1 - 32-bean & 8 vegetable soup

[gardenmoma]

In the weekend meal thread, I said I'd made some32-Beans & 8-Vegetable Soup. Nancy asked about the 32-beans

Soup made from this mix is one of our favorites...when I use a ham bone to make stock, I leave it all for my husband.

In case any of you would like to try making some of this soup, here is a somewhat elaborate answer to Nancy's question. (She was curious enough to look up and let me know about one on-line source.)

I use a 32-bean and 8 vegetable mix sold wholesale by North Bay Trading Company, Brule, WI. I buy my mix at a local Whole Foods Store www.wholefoodsmarket.com/.

As you can tell from my list, the mix contains only 31 beans, or I miscounted along the line The "beans" all come from plants in the Legume plant family - all cousins, not necessarily siblings.

On-line references and sources:
beanbag.net/index.html
www.purcellmountainfarms.com/Adzuki%20Beans.htm
www.foodsubs.com/FGLegumes.html

One cup of soup mix weighs about ½ pound and yields 8 to 10 cups of coup when you use one part soup mix for each 8 to 10 cups of liquid.

Liquid may be crushed tomatoes, tomato juice or bouillon, vegetable or meat stock.

Flavorings may be salt, pepper, chili powder, bay leaves, and / or sage (if using ham or pork).

Simmer two to three hours.

Add extras vegetables such as diced onions, celery, carrots or what-have-you.

Servings: Five very generous bowls or ten small bowls.

Freezes well.

BEANS
1. Adzuki Beans
2. Anasazi Beans
3. Appaloosa Beans
4. Black Turtle Beans
5. Calypso Beans
6. Cannelini Beans
7. Christmas Beans
8. Cranberry Beans
9. European Soldier Beans
10. Flageolet Beans
11. French Navy Beans
12. Great Northern Beans
13. Jackson Wonder Beans
14. Jacob's Cattle Beans
15. Lima Beans
16. Navy Beans
17. Pinks (Beans)
18. Pinto Beans
19. Rattlesnake Beans
20. Scarlet Runner Beans
21. Small Reds (Beans)
22. Small Whites (Beans)
23. SnowCap Beans
24. Tongues-of-Fire Beans
25. Yellow-Eye Beans
26. Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas)
27. Lentils (Mixed)
28. Petite Crimson Lentils
29. Black-Eye Peas
30. Green Peas
31. Yellow Peas
32. ?
VEGETABLES
1. Carrots
2. Onions
3. Celery
4. Sweet Corn
5. Leeks
6. Green Beans
7. Red Peppers
8. Green Peppers
AND BARLEY

[Jaga]

Gardenmoma,

Thanks for your post. We eat in Poland lots of soups, but the one which I learnt here in the US since I did not know in Poland (and what we eat right now at home) is the tortilla soup. This is right now my true favorite especially for this time of the year.

I am usually buying a powder of tortilla soup in the grocery store and add it to the bullion made on chickens with quite a lot of chickens in it! Then I add usually a can of tomatoes or avocado and of course I prepare some fried tortillas. My husband who is usually not a fan of my Polish soups loved it.

But my daughter Ela prefers tomato soups or mushrooms soups since she is not that famillair with tortilla soup.

[lou t]

When I was a child in a Polish American area, a favorite soup was made from Duck's blood. It was called something like"Charmienna(SP)" Of course in those days, when you bought a duck, you got feathers and the quack also. It was made with vinegar and prunes. I don't know what else went in it, but it had a horrible odor. I never had the nerve to try it then ased on the smell and now that I'd like to try it, no one makes it. My question is; " Is this soup still made in Poland or has it become obsolete since my ancestors left Poland?" We also save the duck feathers for pillows and feather tics [piezimas (SP)]. Are the piezinas, which are in essence overstuffed, non quilted Duovets, still used in Poland?

[gardenmoma]

lou said:

When I was a child in a Polish American area, a favorite soup was made from Duck's blood. It was called something like"Charmienna(SP)" Of course in those days, when you bought a duck, you got feathers and the quack also. It was made with vinegar and prunes. I don't know what else went in it, but it had a horrible odor. I never had the nerve to try it then ased on the smell and now that I'd like to try it, no one makes it. My question is; " Is this soup still made in Poland or has it become obsolete since my ancestors left Poland?"

I can not speak about what is happening in Poland, but can say that my mother and all my aunts made DUCK BLOOD SOUP czarnina. I loved it but do not make it because my husband did not like it. Of course, children will take after one or the other parent, so there was no use in my putting in all that work. We live in a rural area, so obtaining a duck and the blood would not have been a problem. There is a recipe in Polish Heritage Cookery by Robert Strybel, Maria Strybel www.amazon.com/gp/product/0781805589/qid=1137214888/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-8025473-2599950?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 There is a new edition of this cookbook, but I still haven't received my copy.

[Jaga]

Gardenmoma,

I saw your post and Alfred/Louis also. You spelled right Czarnina soup. You were faster to reply him than me

[gardenmoma]

Here is the correct spelling for the goosedown comforter - piezyna - thanks to Frank

For more about this wonderful piece of bedding, please go to the General section and look under "goose down comforter"

[gardenmoma]

JAGA,

Do you know the guest lou t who posted the question about the duck soup? Do you suppose he ever saw my reply and then the discussion on the general board?

[gardenmoma]

Some of you have asked how to make the 32-bean & 8-vegetable mix "interesting." You limited only by your imagination with this mix or any mixture of beans

Here are instructions that came with the mix: "Use one part soup mix to 7-8 parts water. Boil for five minutes. Then simmer 2-3 hours. When the beans are tender, add whole or crushed tomatoes. Prepare as vegetarian or add diced ham. May be seasoned with chili powder, hot sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

One cup of soup mix weighs about 1/2 pound and yields 8-10 cups of soup."

Here is my husband's favorite soup from the mix:

Place one "meaty" ham bone in a large soup pot and add three to four quart of water. Add one large peeled onion - whole is all right. Bring to a boil and simmer for several hours. Let sit over night in cool place.

Then the next day, skin ham fat off top and dispose of it - if desired; remove and set aside the ham bone and super large chunks of meat; add the suggested amount of soup mix. Bring to a boil and then simmer. Add about one pound of carrots, peeled and sliced (big or little - it's your choice) and about 1/2 pound of celery similarly chopped. Cook until the fresh vegetables are tender enough to eat and the barley, lentils, and peas are very soft, almost mushy. This gives a little body to the soup. The larger beans should be tender enough to eat, but should not be falling apart. At this point, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato ketchup or any other background seasoning can be added in the proportions you like. I use a light hand with the tomatoes so the soup doesn't become a tomato soup instead of a bean soup! Add salt, pepper and other seasons to your and your family's taste.

Vegetables can be varied according to what you happen to have in the refrigerator or cupboard...potatoes, green beans, parsnips (in moderation), cubed sweet potatoes, etc. The last batch I made included some leftover cooked sauerkraut and caraway seeds (a little less than a cup). I honestly believe no one noticed it, but I thought the soup was a little sweeter than usual...nice touch

So there you have it...soup is like a painting...you start with the basics and then embellish ;D

[rdywenur]

Here is the correct spelling for the goosedown comforter - piezyna - thanks to Frank

...according to my Polish dictionary it is p-i-e-r-z-y-n-a

there is an r in the feathers I wrote it in my other post but no one picked up on it. I guess Franek rules ;D

RDY...

I don't believe it is so much that "Frank rules," as it is that some of us notice items when they are in CAPITALS and BOLDmore than when they are not

PIERZYNA = FEATHERBED

Yes, Piro, I hate it when that happens to me or anyone else

Now, we also know how the r came to be in czarnina ;D

GM

Yes,

[piwo]

rdywenur said:

Here is the correct spelling for the goosedown comforter - piezyna - thanks to Frank

according to my Polish dictionary it is p-i-e-r-z-y-n-a

there is an r in the feathers I wrote it in my other post but no one picked up on it. I guess Franek rules ;D

You'd better keep your feathers out of my bean soup buddy... LOL... hate when that happens... ;D

[gardenmoma]

RDY,

Sorry.... I hit modify on your post and ended up not replying to it in my own post, but in yours.

Nothing was deleted from your post...it was just quoted in your own post ...

[lily]

Hey Gardenmomma - lily here - thanks so much for your husbands favorite recipe for 32 bean soup. I just ordered 3 pounds - also 2 pounds of the Whole Wheat Veg soup and 1 pound of the Canadian Wild Rice....
hmmmmm - I can't wait till it get's here so I can try your recipe!

lily