Who would have thought our area would have experienced a hurricane disaster and a snow flurry/storm within four months’ time? The snow certainly was much more enjoyable than the hurricane has been. Unfortunately, though, I was out of town last week during the snow and missed out on all the excitement and fun to be had, especially with my grandkids! The South Georgia rednecks certainly showed out with all the rigged-up snow sleds and gadgets to pull behind a four-wheeler, golf cart or buggy. Our community has been uprooted in the past four months since Helene and I believe that God reminded us all of an example of His beautiful creation in this land where we live with every snowflake that fell!
Soup, soup, and more soup has been on the menu at my house for weeks. From gumbo, chicken noodle, chili and now 15-bean soup. To say the least, I’m ready to move forward with something sweet and I intend to do that this week! I know we all in the South love our food, especially sweets. My daddy always expected something sweet before he went to bed at night, if mama approved. If she did not, he slipped in the kitchen in the middle of the night and got his treat! Be on the lookout for some of my favorites coming soon to “At Home With Pam.”
Fifteen-Bean Soup
1 “15-bean soup” package
1 to 2 lbs. ham, chopped into small pieces
3 bay leaves
1 qt. diced tomatoes
1 sm. can tomato paste
1 carton chicken broth
2 med. onions, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 2 lbs. smoked sausage, sliced and cooked in separate skillet
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks
Salt & pepper to taste
1 teaspoon or more of each: parsley, basil & oregano
Soak beans overnight in water with 1 tablespoon of salt. Next morning, pour off water and cover with fresh water and chicken broth in a large pot. Add ham and bay leaves and simmer covered for 1 hour. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, celery, onions, garlic, sausage and chicken to soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add parsley, basil and oregano. Simmer uncovered for 1 1⁄2 hours. Serve with saltine crackers or cornbread!
** I never follow a recipe exactly as it says because I taste as I go along and add more to it as I see fit! I have used a ham bone left over after a meal to cook with the beans. You can add more ham, sausage or chicken. If you do, you may need to add more chicken broth.