Flavor Of Bean Soup Worth The Cooking Wait

Dry beans are the backbone of this soothing, winter-warming soup, one that’s low in fat and high in fiber.

Beans take awhile to cook, but the taste and nutrition payoff are worth the extra time. Besides, once you soak the colorful combo of great Northern and red beans, you can give yourself a head start cooking them.

Alternative directions let you simmer them all day long in your crockery cooker. If you choose the crockery method, be sure your cooker heats from the sides. Read your owner’s manual to check.

Italian Bean Soup

1 cup dry great Northern beans

1 cup dry red beans or pinto beans

28-ounce can tomatoes, cut up

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons instant beef bouillon granules or 6 vegetable bouillon cubes

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, crushed

1/4 teaspoon pepper

9-ounce package frozen Italian-style green beans or cut green beans

1 tablespoon margarine

1/8teaspoon garlic salt

1/8teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed

Twelve 1/2-inch-thick slices baguette-style French bread or six 1-inch-thick slices Italian bread.

Rinse dry beans. In a Dutch oven combine the rinsed beans and 5 cups cold water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. (Or, soak beans overnight in a covered pan.) Drain and rinse beans.

In the same pan combine the rinsed beans, 5 cups fresh water, undrained tomatoes, onion, bouillon granules, garlic, the 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Mash beans slightly with a wooden spoon. Add frozen green beans; simmer for 5 minutes or until green beans are tender.

Meanwhile, stir together margarine, garlic salt and the 1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Spread atop 1 side of each bread slice. Place bread, margarine side up, on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 45 to 60 seconds or until crisp and light brown.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Float 2 small pieces or 1 large piece of herb toast atop each bowl of soup. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings.

Crockery cooker directions: Soak and rinse beans as directed. In a 3-1/2 or 4-quart crockery cooker combine beans, 4 cups fresh water (instead of 5 cups), undrained tomatoes, onion, bouillon granules, garlic, the 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and pepper.

Cook, covered, on the high-heat setting for 5-1/2 to 6-1/2 hours (low-heat setting, 11 to 13 hours) or until beans are almost tender. Meanwhile, thaw green beans; stir into soup. Cook about 30 minutes more on high setting or until beans are tender. Continue as directed.

Nutrition information per serving: 343 calories, 3 grams fat, no cholesterol, 18 grams protein, 62 grams carbohydrate, 11 grams fiber, 1,304 milligrams sodium.

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