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Ham & Bean Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon garlic, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon canola oil
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 2 15-ounce can beans or 4 cups cooked beans
  • 6 cups low-sodium broth
  • ½ pound cooked ham, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  1. Wash hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds.
  2. In a large soup pot, combine garlic, onion, and oil. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until onion begins to brown.
  3. Add celery and carrots. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until celery begins to soften.
  4. Add beans, broth, ham, and black pepper.
  5. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium.
  6. Cover with lid and cook for 20-30 minutes or longer. 
  7. Serve hot with whole grain bread.

Makes 6 servings

Note: If using dried beans, please use one of the cooking methods below.

Cooking Dried Beans

  1. Wash hands in warm soapy water.
  2. Rinse beans in cool water, then follow one of the methods below.

Quick Cook Method

  1. Put the beans in a large pot and add 12 cups of water.
  2. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Cover pot and let sit for 1 hour.
  3. Discard soaking water and add fresh water to cover the beans. Return to heat and simmer for 1-3 hours, adding water if needed.

Overnight Method

  1. Put the beans in a large pot and add 6 cups of water.
  2. Let soak for 6 or more hours in the refrigerator.
  3. Discard soaking water and add fresh water to cover the bean. Bring to a boil then simmer for 1-3 hours, adding water if needed.

Crockpot Method

  1. Put the beans in a crockpot and add 6 cups of water.
  2. Cook on high 5-8 hours or until beans are tender.
  3. Discard soaking water.

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Method

  1. Soak beans overnight or for several hours in the fridge.
  2. Rinse and discard cracked or split beans and pour into Instant Pot.
  3. Add water (about twice as much water as beans, at least 1-2 c. in a pressure cooker).
  4. Close and seal pressure cooker.
  5. Cook on manual pressure for 25-30 minutes.
  6. Release pressure when finished cooking. Be careful as hot steam escapes.
  7. Drain beans in a colander.

Green Bean & Walnut Casserole

Ingredients

Filling

  • 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 4 ounces mushrooms, minced (optional)
  • 1 cup onion, minced
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • ½ cup low fat milk
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cans green beans, drained
  • Nonstick spray

Topping

  • 2/3 cup breadcrumbs or crushed cereal
  • 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
  • ½ cup minced onion

Directions

  1. Wash hands with warm, soapy water
    Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
  2. Melt butter or margarine in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.
  3. Add in cream of mushroom soup, soy sauce, and low-fat milk. Season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Turn off heat.
  4. Add canned green beans and sauce to baking pan; toss or stir to coat with mixture.
  5. In a bowl, stir together all topping ingredients and sprinkle on top of green bean mixture.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

Makes 12 servings

 

Creamy Potato Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 3½ cups raw potatoes, diced
  • ⅓-1 cup celery, diced
  • ⅓-1 cup onion, diced
  • ¾ cup ham, chopped (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon seasoning of choice (garlic, Italian, taco, dill, thyme, basil, etc.)
  • 4 cups low-sodium broth
  • 2 Tablespoons oil or butter
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups low-fat milk
  • ½ cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions

  1. Wash hands with warm, soapy water.
  2. In a large soup pot, heat oil. Add celery and onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes until onion is soft.
  3. Add potatoes, broth, pepper, and seasoning. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 – 15 minutes.
  4. Once potatoes are soft, mash some of them with a fork or potato masher for a creamier texture, if desired.
  5. To make the cream sauce for the soup, heat oil or butter in a small saucepan. Once hot, add flour and stir until it turns pasty.
  6. Cook for 1 minute on medium heat, then add the milk a few tablespoons at a time, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly.
  7. Add milk mixture to the soup pot and cook soup until heated through. Serve topped with cheese.

Makes 6 servings

Ham & Potato Soup

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups diced potatoes
  • 1/3 cup diced celery
  • 1/3 cup diced onion
  • 1/3 cup carrot or green bean pieces (optional)
  • 3/4 cup chopped ham
  • 3 1/2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup CNP Magic Mix*
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions

  1. Wash hands with warm, soapy water.
  2. Combine potatoes, celery, onion, carrots or green beans, ham, broth, and pepper in a stockpot. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. 
  3. In a sauce pan combine  CNP Magic Mix and 2 cups of water to make thin white sauce. Stir over medium heat until smooth and thick. 
  4. When sauce just begins to boil, remove from heat. Add cheese to the sauce and stir until melted. Stir the sauce into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.
CNP Magic Mix Alternative
Instead of CNP Magic Mix and water, use the following:
  • 1 Tablespoon butter, margarine, or canola oil
  • 1 Tablespoon flour
  • 2 cups low-fat milk

Then follow these steps:

  1. Follow steps 1-2 above. 
  2. In step 3, heat butter, margarine, or oil in a small skillet over medium heat.
  3. Once hot, add the flour and stir until the flour is incorporated. Continue cooking until it turns light brown. 
  4. Whisk in the milk. Whisk or stir until the flour mixture is dissolved in the milk and the milk begins to thicken. 
  5. Follow step 4 above. 

Makes 6 servings

Crockpot Bean Soup

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cooked beans of your choice*
  • 6 cups low-sodium broth
  • 1 Tablespoon garlic, chopped
  • ½ large onion, minced
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • ½ pound cooked ham, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  1. Wash hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds.
  2. Add all ingredients to the crockpot.
  3. Cover with lid and cook on high for 2-4 hours. Serve warm.

Makes 6 servings

*Our recipe video uses 2 cups navy beans and 2 cups chickpeas.
Note: If using dried beans, please use one of the cooking methods below.

Cooking Dried Beans

  1. Wash hands in warm soapy water.
  2. Rinse beans in cool water, then follow one of the methods below.

Quick Cook Method

  1. Put the beans in a large pot and add 12 cups of water.
  2. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Cover pot and let sit for 1 hour.
  3. Discard soaking water and add fresh water to cover the beans. Return to heat and simmer for 1-3 hours, adding water if needed.

Overnight Method

  1. Put the beans in a large pot and add 6 cups of water.
  2. Let soak for 6 or more hours in the refrigerator.
  3. Discard soaking water and add fresh water to cover the bean. Bring to a boil then simmer for 1-3 hours, adding water if needed.

Crockpot Method

  1. Put the beans in a crockpot and add 6 cups of water.
  2. Cook on high 5-8 hours or until beans are tender.
  3. Discard soaking water.

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Method

  1. Soak beans overnight or for several hours in the fridge.
  2. Rinse and discard cracked or split beans and pour into Instant Pot.
  3. Add water (about twice as much water as beans, at least 1-2 c. in a pressure cooker).
  4. Close and seal pressure cooker.
  5. Cook on manual pressure for 25-30 minutes.
  6. Release pressure when finished cooking. Be careful as hot steam escapes.
  7. Drain beans in a colander.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons canola oil, divided
  • One 4-pound sugar pie pumpkin
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 4 large garlic cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
  • ½ cup low-fat plain yogurt
  • Roasted pumpkin seeds or almonds (optional)

Directions

  1. Wash hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds.
  2. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  3. Carefully cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds.
  4. Slice each pumpkin halve in half to make quarters. Brush pieces with oil and place cut sides down onto the baking sheet.
  5. Roast for 35-45 minutes or until the orange flesh is easily pierced through with a fork. Set it aside to cool for a few minutes.
  6. Wash the onion and dice. Mince the garlic. Set aside.
  7. Once the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, peel off the skin. You may need to use a knife to slice the skin off. Throw away the skin.
  8. Roughly cut the pumpkin into smaller chunks.
  9. Heat the remaining oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil hot, add onion, garlic, and salt to the skillet. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is clear, about 8-10 minutes.
  10. Add the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, cumin, black pepper, and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, to give the flavors time to blend.
  11. Remove the soup from heat and let it cool slightly. Working in batches, place the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Do not fill your blender past the maximum fill line! Transfer the puréed soup to a large bowl and repeat with the remaining batches.
  12. Once all the soup is blended, place it back in the pot.
  13. Place about ½ a cup of the soup in a bowl. Add the yogurt and stir until smooth. Add back to the soup and cook 5-10 more minutes.
  14. Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Sprinkle with roasted pumpkin seeds or almonds, if desired.

Makes 4-6 servings

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