ARCHIVE: ALMOST VEGAN CREAM OF WHITE BEAN SOUP

An almost dairy-free white bean soup, wonderful in its basic form but easily tweaked for sassy stress-free variations

White Bean Soup: tummy & wallet soothing with vegan & carnivore options

(This one with vegan 'bacon bits' & chives)

'Love the almost no-dairy creaminess and the sassy variations.' Blogger

first posted Jan 2017

White bean soup is the perfect dish for colder weather: comforting, high in protein but wallet-friendly. 

It's versatile, providing a thick satisfying main course or a silky sensational first course.  It can be served on its own or with added vegetables or shredded protein.

Dairy-free, depending on choice of yoghurt, it's also very effective at soothing the digestive system after over-indulgence.

This one needs good ingredients.  Reconstituted dried white beans and good stock/broth, preferable chicken if you're not vegetarian, provide the best flavour and texture.  

67 tested this with tinned pulses and it was fine.  But don't be tempted to leave out the yoghurt and, if not using parmesan, garnish generously:  vegan bacon bits, spicy croutons, blanched mushrooms or plenty of shredded protein.

Cost: £1.50
Feeds: 4-6; recipe doubles easily

Ingred:
   2 tbsp good olive oil
   1 yellow onion (about 1 coffee mug), finely diced or lightly processed
   a couple of carrots (a generous half mug), finely diced or lightly processed
   2 sticks celery in med dice (a generous half mug)

   generous 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
   1 small clove garlic, minced or grated  
   1 tbsp fresh or 1/3 tbsp dried rosemary
   1 tbsp fresh or 1/3 tbsp dried thyme
   3 cups good stock (veggie for vegetarians but chicken is fine for carnivores)
  
   240 gm reconstituted dried white beans, cooked and drained  O tinned white beans, drained & rinsed 

   pepper & salt

  0-fat strained plain yoghurt

   3-4 tbsp grated parmesan (opt)

Method:

1. Heat a medium sized heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat until pot reaches a high temperature; reduce heat to low
2. Add olive oil, onions, carrots and celery; cook over low 10-15 mins until soft but not brown
3. Add parsley, garlic, rosemary & thyme; cook another minute
4. Add beans & 3 cups/large mugs good stock
5. Bring to the boil; let bubble 2-3 mins; reduce heat to low; simmer 20 mins
6. When soup is ready, add parmesan, if using, and pepper & salt
7. Taste; the veggie version may need veggie granules 
8. Blitz with a hand blender until very smooth; it may take a few mins.  This is your base.

Garnishes:

• Vegan alternative to Bacon Bits (see method below)

         1/3 cup wholemeal breadcrumbs (spelt for wheat-free)
         olive oil
         1/2-1 tsp salt
        1 tsp smoked paprika plus   

• Finely chopped fresh chives or spring onions

OR 

• Goats cheese or feta (opt)
• Crispy bacon bits (opt)

Optional Additions:

• 0-fat strained yoghurt
• raw spinach, French beans, tender stem broccoli 
• shredded ham hock or chicken, tiny raw meatballs of beef pork or minced chicken  

Vegetarian Bacon Bits

Generously spray a frying pan with olive oil, add crumbs; cook over med-high heat, stirring until crunchy and golden (more olive oil may be needed); add salt and smoked paprika -- the flavour and texture should be a little like crispy bacon.  Set aside.

SERVING OPTIONS

1.  A thick and creamy main course...

• for every cup of soup, add a tablespoon of yoghurt and whisk before heating
• garnish with paprika breadcrumbs or crispy bacon or poached sliced mushrooms, with plenty of chopped chives.  And Then...
• just before serving, add small broccoli spears or carrot matchsticks or chopped fine green beans which have been blanched in boiling water for 3 mins (opt) AND/OR 
• just before the end of cooking, add shredded cooked meat (opt) OR
• 10 mins before end of cooking add raw mini meatballs

2.  A smooth and silky first course (strained) ...

Pour soup through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl, using the back of a ladle or large spoon to push the mix through. Scrape the underside of the strainer into the bowl. The result will be smooth and silky but a dry thick sludge will be left behind in the bottom of the strainer; this will be discarded 

This version is best served in small portions, with a few paprika breadcrumbs or finely chopped crispy bacon or poached sliced mushrooms, and chopped chives/spring onions. A little finely shredded cooked chicken can also be added. 

Tips:

• the soup keeps well in the fridge for 3 days; the suggested variations prevents a sense of 'boring leftovers' 
• leftovers can be frozen but once defrosted, blitz again and check seasoning
• See Cook Clever with Pulses

(Questions & comments, pls go to the comments box below)

For more vegetarian soups, go to Recipes II on the Nav Bar/Soups or Vegetarian

This recipe has  been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission 

'BIG' CHICKEN SOUP 'FLU CURE, Frugal

Feeling under the weather?  A chunky chicken soup boosts the immune system 

Home-made Chunky Chicken Soup served on a tray 

'An intensely flavoured easily digested life-saver when ill' Blogger 

photo 3/16/17

Chunky Chicken Soup is ambrosial; deeply flavoured, beautiful in texture, tender and easily digested.

In every cupboard or freezer, there should always be 'Big' Soups for emergencies when unable/unwilling to cook due to illness or the general malaises of life.

A trial of tinned was disappointing; thick and gloopy - definitely not in a good way - and characterised by a strong, deeply unpleasant metallic flavour. 

It was enough to send 67 down the home-made, freezable route and to keep several portions in the 67 freezer.  (See also Big Beef Soup). 

For emergencies, there are also a few Baxter's soups in the cupboard.  They're not as chunky as tinned 'Big' soups but more tasty and satisfying.  And probably better for you.  

67's Big Chicken Soup is great for the ill or infirm, or kids or anyone looking for a nutritious tasty easily digested meal.

Oh, and it's wallet-friendly and low-fat/salt/preservative.  

Cost: £2.00
Serves: 4-6

Ingred:
   7oz/200g chicken, in one inch/2cm cubes
   seasoned flour (any will do)

   olive oil
   med onion, diced or coarsely processed
   1 1/2 sticks celery in med dice
   1 large carrot in one inch cubes
   6oz+/180gm baby new potatoes or washed potatoes in one-inch cubes
   1 cup swede in one inch cubes (opt)
   1 cup parsnips in one inch cubes (opt)

   enough stock or water to cover meat & veg by one inch
   slug of dry sherry (opt)

   1 generous mug thickly sliced mushrooms
   2/3 mug frozen peas (opt)

   2 tbsp flour with 1/2 ounce butter

Method:

1. Toss chicken in a plastic bag with seasoned flour and shake until pieces are covered
2. Sauté veg in tablespoon of olive oil over med low heat in a partly covered large saucepan, 20 mins, stirring occasionally; do not allow to burn; onions should be translucent not brown
3. Add chicken with stock/water and sherry  
4. Bring to the boil; lower heat, let bubble 5 mins, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface
5. Pour into slow cooker; add more liquid if necessary to cover the contents by one inch
6. Cook on high 2-3 hours or until chicken is tender and veg are soft (or on low for 4-6 hrs)
7. Meanwhile saute mushrooms in a large saucepan in just enough olive oil to prevent sticking; when nearly done add juice of half a lemon, pepper and a bit of salt; cook until all the liquid is gone; set aside for later
8. When chicken & veg in the stockpot are ready, remove from the soup liquid; set aside with mushrooms 
9. Pour soup liquid into the pan used for mushrooms; bring to the boil; mash flour and butter & add to juices
10. Allow to thicken; add chicken, veg & mushrooms if using 
11. Simmer half an hour; check seasoning; if soup is too thick, add water; if too thin, mix 1 tsp cornflour with 1 tbsp very cold water and stir it in 
12. Serve with crusty bread or Cheese Scones

Tips:

• the flavour of boiling fowl is wonderful but be careful; some are stuffed with antibiotics
• before decanting soup from the slow-cooker, check the tenderness of the chicken; if it isn't tender, let it cook longer
• Baxters is the soup brand 67 normally depends on for emergencies ; they don't do 'big' soups but some of the soups are thick, flavourful and chunky

          More soups on NAV BAR: Recipes II/Soups  ...

Please leave a Comment in the box below  

This recipe  has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission. 

ARCHIVE: FRUGAL BACON & EGG 'PIE' WITH VEG

A 67 January favourite: simple, satisfying, nutritious & tasty ...and ever so frugal.

1st posted 2018; updated 10/24 

Photos: 17/11/15

There is something about this simple rice dish that is perfect for over-stimulated taste buds in January.  it's often referred to as Bacon'n Egg 'Pie 'but is really just a one-dish wonder.

It's very healthy.  Bacon is normally reserved for an Indulgence/Blow-out day but the fat is removed and there's only a small amount - just enough to add a glorious saltiness.  The bacon is also offset by lightly cooked vegetables.

Eggs are optional but adds easily digested protein and the yolk makes a lovely sauce.

The rice 67 used takes only 10 minutes to cook; the bacon slices and veg steam on top, making the dish Almost Instant.  That's another thing in the dish's favour -- no waiting around for ages before one can eat!

Cost: £3'ish (10/24)
Feeds: 2 

Ingred:
   3/4 cup/145gms white quick-cook rice
   1 1/2 cups/360 ml water
   3 slices back bacon,  fat removed, in 1/2 in/1 cm strips
   80 gm/3 oz tenderstem broccoli or shredded sprouts or a mix of both
   1 tsp butter (opt)
   1 egg per person (opt) 

Method:

ARCHIVE: HOT PINEAPPLE PUDDING

A Juicy Hot Tropical Pudding to take the chill off Winter -- and it's Low-Sugar and wonderfully Frugal

Peeled, cored, sliced pineapple - details in How to deal with Pineapples

Hot Pineapple Pudding is a simply superb winter dessert: hot, heady with tropical scent, naturally sweet, exotic without costing the earth.  And healthier than many desserts.

It is baked with the tiniest amount of muscovado sugar (also known as molasses sugar - the darkest on the market) and fresh grated ginger.  Ginger root is the key ingredient here -- try to get fresh  -- and gives an undisputed but welcome kick.  People who normally don't like ginger will love this.  Served with yoghurt cream or, if there are no cholesterol issues, single or whipping cream, the Hot Pineapple Pudding is a winner.         

Cost: £1.20
Serves: 3-6