Southwestern Refried Bean Soup

As you may have figured out by now, among my top Near to Nothing cooking strategies are dried beans, soup, and leftovers.  So of course I jump at the opportunity to combine all of them.  A few months ago I ran across a recipe for this bean soup in the church cookbook and fell in love with it.  Of course, in Near to Nothing fashion, I adapted it to my quick and frugal needs.

Because it starts with refried beans, this soup makes fast and easy weeknight dinner.  Of course, I start with homemade fat-free refried beans, but feel free to use canned.  You may need to add some seasonings if you choose to go that route.  When I make a pot of beans, I try to freeze a portion for this soup.

Four ingredients (if you count the water).  It doesn't get
any easier than that!  And yes!  The salsa had a clearance
sticker on it!!

Since there are six of us and I always want leftovers for lunches, I make a huge batch.  If you don’t want to make so much, simply cut the recipe in half or thirds.  Or make the big batch and freeze the soup in individual portions for quick lunches!

Southwestern Refried Bean Soup

3 c. water

1 heaping Tbsp. chicken bouillon

3 lb. refried beans

¾ c. salsa

In large pot, bring water and bouillon to a boil.  Add beans and salsa.

Heat on medium to medium-high heat, stirring often.  Serve with desired toppings (cheese, yogurt/sour cream, avocado, olives, tomatoes, chips, hot sauce, etc.).

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Ok, so it's officially not winter anymore, but that doesn't mean I'm done eating soup!  At the moment, this is my favorite!  I stumbled upon this recipe and I'm so glad I did.  I did alter it a bit, though.  Because it has a bean base, it is very inexpensive but is so full of flavor!  I've been eating it over a little steamed brown rice to bulk it up a bit.

Spicy Black Bean Soup
2 cups dry black beans
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp minced or pureed chipotles in adobo
5 cups water
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, diced (mine came out to about 4 cups)
3 celery ribs, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
2 cups frozen corn
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/2 Tbsp cumin
6 cups water
2 Tbsp chicken bouillon
1-2 Tbsp lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Place beans, bay leaves, chipotle, and 5 cups water in a large saucepan.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low/medium-low; simmer until beans are tender (1 1/2 to 2 hours).  If necessary, add more water as beans cook.  Once tender, remove from heat and set aside (don't drain them).

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a stock pot or Dutch oven.  Add onions, celery, and carrots; saute until tender and slightly browned.  Reduce heat to medium-low; add garlic, red pepper flakes, and cumin.  Cook, stirring frequently for about 2 minutes.  Add beans with cooking liquid, water, and bouillon.  Increase heat to high; bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove about 1/3 of the soup and blend in a blender until smooth or use an immersion blender right in the pot to get desired texture.  Return to pot; add frozen corn.  Simmer until heated through.  Remove from heat and add lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), avocado, cheese, etc.

Bean and Barley Stew

So...I *may* be in the midst of a weight loss competition.  Well, sort of.  I'm part of the group, but am not officially competing; just needed to get a little motivation.  Anyway, since I started this 12+ week journey, I've been eating mostly soup for dinner.  I love soup, and I figured one pot of soup could feed me for almost a whole week, so I'm not always having to prepare two different meals (my family would prefer something heartier than the dieting me is eating right now).  Anyway, I have had some pretty delicious soups, including Sumiko's meatless comfort soup and the one I'm writing about today: Bean and Barley Soup.  I guess I shouldn't really call it a soup; it's more of a really thick and hearty stew.  I actually adapted it from this website, and I love it!  I used all dried beans and prepared them in the slow cooker ahead of time (some I had made and frozen, so I just had to pull them out of the freezer and defrost).  This makes this meal really quite inexpensive.

Bean and Barley Stew
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp pepper
3 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp chicken bouillon
3 Tbsp tomato paste
3/4 - 1 cup each lima beans, black beans, and garbanzo beans
3/4 cup quick-cooking barley
1-2 carrots, sliced
1 packed cup spinach, roughly chopped

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions and saute for about 2 minutes; add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, and pepper; saute an additional 2-3 minutes.

Stir in water, bouillon, tomato paste, and beans; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add barley, carrots, and spinach; simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes, or until barley is done.  If using regular barley, add a little extra water and put the barley in with the beans; simmer until barley is done.  This is one of those things that actually tasted better the second day than the first; the flavors had time to meld better.

February Flashback Fridays: Chicken Noodle Soup

It's winter, which means soup!  Actually, we haven't had much of a winter here, so I haven't been able to make as much soup as I would have liked to.  It would start to get a bit on the cold side (and by cold, I mean in the 50's, which is cold by my wimpy standards), so I would plan soup into the menu, only to have it warm again and be in the 80's on the day I had planned on making soup.  Big menu planning fail.  I've had to learn to check the weather before planning my meals.  Anyway, we're currently enjoying spring/summer weather, but some of you may be looking for something warm to eat.  Or, some of you may just be sick and in need of some good chicken noodle soup (this has been us this week).  So, hopefully this flashback will provide some comfort.



Last week I said I would write about cookie decorating, but all three of us have been sick for the past week, so it just didn't get done.  I apologize and promise that it WILL get done in the next couple of weeks.  Since we've all been sick and flu season is upon us, I figured it would be appropriate to write about chicken noodle soup.  While I was sick, I was craving chicken noodle soup.  I'm not a big fan of the canned variety, so I headed down the street to the grocery store and bought a chicken, which just happened to be on sale.  Before I continue, let me just say something about the price of chicken.  Back when we first started our blog, Sumiko wrote about her spending parameters and said that she doesn't pay more than $2/lb for meat.  That's my spending limit as well, except when it comes to bone-in cuts.  For example, I would never pay $2/lb for a whole chicken.  Actually, I won't even pay $1/lb for bone-in chicken, whether it's a whole chicken or pieces of chicken.  I don't like to spend more than 75 cents/lb for them and even that is on the high end.

When you're sick, you probably don't want to be making soup from scratch, but it's just so much better than eating out of a can.  My 2-year-old even loved this soup (I make it hearty, so I just gave her some of it without the broth) and as she was eating it, she said, "Mommy, I like it!"  Thankfully, it's a freezable so you can make it while you're healthy and stick it in the freezer for a sick day!

Chicken Noodle Soup
1 whole chicken
2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2-3 ribs celery, sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-4 Tbsp. chicken bouillon
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
Egg noodles (see recipe below)

Place chicken in a stock pot and fill with enough water to cover the chicken.

Boil until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees.  By this time, the chicken will be tender and should come off the bones easily.  Remove the chicken from the water and set aside to cool enough to handle.  DO NOT DRAIN THE WATER IN WHICH THE CHICKEN WAS COOKED - this will be the base of your soup!

While the chicken is cooling, boil the carrots, celery, onion, and bay leaf in the broth from your cooked chicken.  Add more water if necessary (I probably added an extra 3 or 4 cups).  Add chicken bouillon, adjusting amount to suit your taste preferences.  Before the vegetables are tender, add the noodles.  Cook until noodles are done and vegetables are tender.  Meanwhile, shred the chicken.  Once the vegetables and noodles are done, add the chicken back into the pot.  Add parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Remove bay leaf.

The total cost for a large pot of soup (sorry, I didn't measure the exact amount) is around $4!

Egg Noodles
To me, chicken noodle soup just isn't the same without homemade noodles - it's the noodles that make the soup!  They really aren't too difficult to make and they call for ingredients most people probably already have on hand.

2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour, plus extra for rolling

Mix eggs and milk.  Add salt and flour.  On a well-floured surface, roll dough to desired thickness.  Some people prefer thick noodles; I prefer thin ones, so mine were probably about 1/16 inch thick.

Cut into strips about 1/2-inch thick by 1 to 1.5-inches long.  Allow to dry for 30 to 60 minutes.  I usually prepare my noodles while the chicken is boiling.  Make sure to watch your noodles closely, as fresh noodles cook faster than dried ones.

February Flashback Fridays: Taco Soup!

To continue our February Flashback Fridays, I thought taco soup deserved a second look.  This is still one of our favorite soups.  And it is so easy, especially if you are using leftover rice and beans.  It is costing me a bit more to make this dish as the price of frozen corn has gone up.  But it is still well worth it for this flavor-packed, nutritious soup.  Enjoy!

About five years ago, an amazing man came into my life!  No, I’m not talking about my husband, though he is pretty amazing too.  I’m talking about our pediatrician.  He has helped our children stay healthy and feel better when something was wrong.  Lukas is so convinced of Dr. Ng’s abilities that he thinks every owie is worthy of a trip to see him.

One way Dr. Ng helps his patients stay healthy is by making sure they are getting proper nutrition.  When Keanna was a toddler, he told her, “Make sure you eat all the colors of the rainbow every day.”  Of course, he was talking about eating a variety of fruits and vegetables (not Skittles, much to my husband's dismay).  In general, different plant color pigments are associated with different nutrients so it is important to eat an assortment of different colors.

The colors I found in my kitchen and garden, not counting what's in my
freezer and the canned veggies in my pantry.

Ever since then, we’ve been playing the colors of the rainbow game at the table.  While we’re eating, I’ll ask, “What colors of the rainbow are we eating?”  Not only is this a fun game for the kids, but it gets them consciously thinking about the fruits and veggies they are eating and helps them recognize which foods come from plants.  Keanna quickly learned that cheddar cheese does not count for orange.

I started making this taco soup a few months ago and quickly realized that it has a lot of different colors all in one bowl:  red, yellow, green, brown, and black.  Not only that, my version is meatless!!  This means it is super inexpensive and low fat (not counting the toppings).  Because it has beans and rice, it is still a source of complete protein.  It also does not have a lot of extra juice, making it thick and chunky.  Don’t tell your husband it’s meatless, and he might not even notice.  *Wink, wink*  For a vegan version, substitute vegetable bouillon for the beef bouillon and serve with vegan cheese and sour cream.

Taco Soup

4 c. red beans, drained and rinsed

4 c. water

1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes

3 c. cooked brown rice

1 lb. frozen corn

1-7 oz. can or 1 c. diced green chiles

2 Tbsp. beef bouillon

6 Tbsp. taco seasoning (if I wasn't feeding this to my kids I'd add more--I like spicy food!)

Desired toppings:  shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced olives, diced avocado, sliced green onions, tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients in 5-qt. pot; stir to combine.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve with toppings.  Yield:  about 3 qts.  (we got two dinners out of one pot)  Total cost:  less than $5 (not including toppings)

I use my homemade red beans because it is way cheaper, but canned will work.  I believe you would need about two cans.  I also use leftover brown rice.  If you don’t have any already made, you can cook the rice right in the soup pot.  Combine ¾ c. brown rice, 6 c. water, and 2 Tbsp. bouillon.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, about 45 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and continue as above.  You may need to adjust the water depending on how much was lost as steam when cooking the rice.

February Flashback Fridays: Sumiko's Meatless Comfort Soup

Since Near to Nothing has been going for over a year-and-a-half, and our readership has grown tremendously, we thought we'd revisit a few "old" recipes.  If you've been with us the entire time, you may have forgotten about some of our originals.  If you're new to Near to Nothing, you may have missed some really great dishes.  So every Friday in February, we'll be reposting a previous recipe.

I thought I'd kick it off with a soup.  Yesterday morning Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow.  As the legend goes, that means six more weeks of winter.  In my book, that means six more weeks of soup!  (Of course, we here in the Bay Area are still watering our lawns, waiting for winter to come.)  So, without further ado, Sumiko's meatless comfort soup from last winter.




A few weeks ago I posted about Auntie Laurel’s comfort soup.  While I really like it, I’ve developed my own version.  One way I try to save money on food is by making meatless meals so I omitted the Italian sausage.  I also added brown rice to complement the garbanzos for a complete protein and to boost the fiber.

This recipe makes a lot of soup but can be easily cut in half if you don’t want such a large batch.  I tried freezing it once, not expecting it to work.  Surprisingly, it did!  The zucchini ended up a little on the mushy side, but not too bad.

Sumiko’s Comfort Soup

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 large onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

6 c. water

3 Tbsp. beef bouillon

1 tsp. dried basil

3 c. cooked brown rice

28 oz. diced tomatoes

1 qt. garbanzo beans, drained

3 zucchini

1-2 tsp. salt

Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in 5-qt. stock pot; sauté onion and garlic over medium-high heat until onions begin to turn translucent.

Add remaining ingredients and increase heat to high.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until zucchini is tender, about 5-6 minutes.

Serve with Parmesan cheese.  Yield:  about 4 quarts.

If you don’t have leftover cooked rice and don’t want to make any just for this soup, you can start with uncooked rice.  Increase water to 8 cups.  After sautéing onion and garlic, add water, bouillon, basil, and 1 c. dry brown rice.  Simmer until rice is almost done, about 35-40 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and continue as above.

Spicy Pork Chili

Shortly after I got married, I was desperate for recipes that my husband would enjoy.  While visiting his sister, I asked if I could copy some of her recipes, figuring that if his sister likes it, he will most likely like it too.  She gave me some really delicious recipes, including this one.  In fact, as I write this, I have some simmering on the stove and the smell is driving me crazy!  I have made a few adjustments to make it more cost-effective, but it still tastes pretty much the same as the original version.

Some reminders regarding cost-effectiveness.  Wait until the pork goes on sale.  I often find it under $2/lb and freeze it.  Also, instead of buying canned beans, buy dried and make them yourself!  It's so easy to make them in the slow cooker!  Finally, serving this over rice not only tastes good, but makes it more cost effective as well.  Rice adds bulk for pennies!  It also tames some of the spice, for those who don't particularly like spicy.

This recipe calls for jalapenos.  When handling jalapenos, I always wear rubber gloves, because the pepper contains capsaicin (which is what is used in pepper spray) and will burn if you touch your face or eyes with your hands after handling the pepper.

Most of the heat is contained in the seeds and membranes.

I removed most of the seeds and the membrane.

I made sure to wear gloves as I finely chopped the jalapenos.

Spicy Pork Chili
1 1/2 lbs pork loin, cubed
1 large onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 1/2 cups great northern beans
4 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 Tbsp chicken bouillon
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp pepper
1/4-1/8 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp hot sauce
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

In a large pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the pork, onions, and celery; cook until pork is browned.

Stir in beans, water, bouillon, jalapenos, chili powder, pepper, cayenne, cumin, garlic, salt, parsley, and hot sauce.  To be honest, I'm not sure if 1/4 tsp of hot sauce really does much - I mean, I probably use more than that when I eat a burrito - but we'll throw it in anyway!  Also, a reminder on the cayenne.  You can always add more, but you can't take any out.  Start out with a smaller amount and add more after tasting.

Our hot sauce of choice!

Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.  Remove lid and simmer for an additional 30-40 minutes, or until chili reaches the desired consistency.  Remove from heat; add cheese and stir until melted.  Serve over steamed rice if desired (this is how I like to eat it) and with a side of cornbread.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this can be made in the slow cooker.  I haven't tried it yet, so I can't vouch for it, but I'm guessing it will work.  Simply brown the pork and saute the onions and celery as written in the original recipe.  Add all remaining ingredients (except cheese) to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours (I'm guess on the time here).  About 30 minutes before it's done, add the cheese and allow it to melt.  Next time I make this, I'll try this method and let you know how it works!  Or, if any of you try it, please let us know!

Mashed Potato Soup

 A few weeks ago I was blessed with the chance to spend some time with a couple of my college roommates.  It was so great to see them and catch up on life!  My junior-year roommate HeidiMichelle treated us all to a wonderful dinner of potato soup.  It was so delicious!  Some day in the future I will definitely have to blog it.  As she was telling me how she makes it, I was reminded of a soup I have made on occasion but have not yet posted—mashed potato soup.

While HeidiMichelle’s soup starts with fresh potatoes, I start this one with leftover mashed potatoes.  Consequently, there is no real recipe as your seasonings will depend on the mashed potatoes with which you start.  I started with a version of my Thanksgiving mashed potatoes, so I didn’t need a lot of extra seasoning.

If your mashed potatoes are really stiff like mine, you’ll want to put a little water in the bottom of the pot as you reheat them so they are less likely to burn.

I used frozen broccoli cuts.  Chopped broccoli would have been a little better for bite-sized pieces, but I was just using what I had on hand.  You can also use leftover sautéed broccoli or fresh broccoli that has been steamed.

If you want to include meat, bacon, sausage, or ham would work.  I used leftover ham, and it was excellent!!  You can also use the meat as a topping to stretch it (like I did here).  To make meatless mashed potato soup, simply omit the meat.

One important key to making this soup is to make sure you don’t let it boil after you’ve added the milk.  You don’t want the milk to curdle.  Of course, with my four kids running around and needing my attention, I often accidentally let it go to a slow boil.  It still tastes good, just doesn’t look as pretty.

Mashed Potato Soup

Water

Leftover mashed potatoes

Broccoli, leftover sautéed, frozen chopped, or fresh cut and cooked

Ham, bacon, or sausage, cooked and diced or chopped

Shredded cheese, cheddar or cheddar/jack blend

Milk

Salt and pepper, if necessary

Cover bottom of medium or large pan with water.  Add mashed potatoes.

Heat over medium, stirring often until water is incorporated and potatoes are thinned down and hot.  Stir in broccoli and ham.  Continue to heat until broccoli is no longer frozen.

Add a large handful or two of cheese; stir until melted.  Add milk, stirring thoroughly until desired consistency.

The soup will thicken as it cooks and sits.  Take care not to let the soup boil.  Add salt and pepper if needed.