Recipe Navy Bean Soup

Recipe Navy Bean Soup

This is a simple and nourishing main course, especially appealing in cool weather.

Bean soup

Recipe Navy Bean Soup

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1 cup dry navy beans, soaked (using quick or overnight method) and rinsed.

1 teaspoon good quality salt (more or less to taste)

2 Tablespoons butter

1 cup evaporated milk (optional)

Instructions

(1) Cover soaked navy beans with water, and simmer gently, partially covered for 90-120 minutes or until very tender.

(2) Add salt, butter and enough milk to reach desired consistency.

Variation for Recipe Navy Bean Soup

You can add some onion or onion powder, if desired.

Notes

If you are cooking soup, you may alter the amount of seasonings and other ingredients to taste, or even make the soup thicker or thinner according to your personal preference. You may also simmer it for a longer or shorter period without too much difficulty. Of course, this is where common sense should intrude. You probably shouldn’t add ½ cup of cayenne pepper to the recipe, regardless of your culinary tastes. If the recipe calls for that amount, your common sense should tell you that it is a typo that should probably read ½ teaspoon! In addition, you will need to simmer your soup long enough for it to be cooked properly, but not so long that the ingredients turn to mush!

Tips for eating beans

In spite of the nutritional advantages, if there is a drawback to the legume family of foods, it is that they can produce digestive disturbance in the form of gas. There are several things you can do to alleviate this problem:

-If you are not used to eating legumes, introduce them slowly. It is normal for everyone to produce some gas during digestion, but it should not be painful, putrid or pervasive.

-When using canned beans, discard the juice and rinse the beans before use.

-If you are using dry beans, throw out the soaking water (or use the water for your plants or garden), rinse before cooking and cook thoroughly.

-Eat slowly, chew your food well, and don’t overeat.

-Try taking enzyme products, like “Beano,” right before you eat. This may help to alleviate gas problems by helping digestion.

-Add some fennel to your beans (or chew some fennel seeds later, should you feel any adverse effects from eating legumes or any other foods). I have also heard that adding summer savory, dill or anise to your beans will help, but I have never tried these myself. Use about one teaspoon per cup of dry beans.

Warning: Fennel seeds should not be taken in large doses by pregnant women, since they are a uterine stimulant.



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