16 bean or Calico Bean soup is a crockpot staple recipe. Next time you are in the bean aisle of the grocery store, pick up a bag of beans and throw them into your slow cooker! It's an easy recipe that is super frugal and quite filling!
Originally posted during my Year of Slow Cooking.
Day 99.
I have walked by the bags of soup mix in the grocery store a hundred million times. I've even picked one up, read the print on the bag, and taken it for a ride in the shopping cart.
But then I chicken out and put it back on the shelf with it's friends.
It just seemed like a lot of work.
I, um, actually don't really enjoy work.
I'd really like a house full of forest creatures like in Snow White or in Enchanted to come do it all for me so I can spin around in circles singing.
So far the closest I've gotten to that dream is a six-year-old wearing a two-sizes-too-small rooster Halloween costume running around with a feather duster...
but it's a nice dream, nonetheless.
Okay, back to the soup. I was ecstatic when April emailed me to let me know about the 16-bean soup her amazing daughter Alecksandra makes in the crockpot.
By herself. And she's eight. And she probably doesn't even shed.
Alecksandra rocks.
The Ingredients.
serves 8 to `10
Alecksandra's version:
1 bag of soup mix
1 onion
1 packet of onion soup mix
water
--cook on low all day long
I didn't have any onion soup mix in the house.
And since I wasn't expecting any woodland creatures yesterday, I made due with what I had in the pantry.
The Ingredients.
serves 8 to 10, freezes well.
1 bag of soup mix (READ LABEL carefully if avoiding gluten. Many varieties use Barley inside; Bobs Red Mill is a good choice, it has 13 Beans.)
1 onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves chopped garlic
2 teaspoons of your favorite spice rub
(OR: 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon paprika)
1 (15 ounce)can of Italian-style tomatoes
6 to 8 cups water or broth
Kosher salt (add the salt at the last minute, a teaspoon at a time, according to taste)
(OPTIONAL: if you'd like meat, you can use a leftover hamhock and 1 cup diced ham. OR you can add a package of two of smoked sausage. I usually have the Aidell's brand in the house because they are gluten free. We like chicken and apple sausage and cajun-style -- I use a package of each just because it provides tons of flavor.)
It is up to you how much water you use. If you want more broth, use more water, if you want it thick and beany, use less. If you want to use broth and ooomph up the flavor, go for it.
The Directions.
For best results, put the beans into a large stock pot and fill with cold water. Bring this pot to a boil for ten minutes, and then remove it from the heat, cover, and let the beans sit and soften for 1 hour before plopping into a 6-quart crockpot.
This is also important to do if your soup mix has any red beans in them.
Red beans have a naturally-occurring potential toxin. It is rare, but boiling for 10 minutes will kill anything that might be lurking.
Drain the beans, and place them into your empty slow cooker.
Add the rest of the ingredients -- stir to combine.
Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or even longer --
Soup tastes the best the longer you cook it, and it tastes even better the next day.
The Verdict.
this was healthy, filling and flavorful. I am thrilled to have lunch for the next week. The kids picked out their favorite beans and liked that I sprinkled parmesan on top.
I can't wait until they can yield a knife like Alecksandra!
I served the soup along with corndog muffins (simply your favorite cornbread recipe made into muffins with
chopped up hot dogs; yum!).
If you are new to slow cooking or have any burning (simmering? HA!) questions about crockpotting, this article, Slow Cooker Buying Guide & Must-Have Beginner Supplies from All Free Slow Cooker recipes is a fantastic resource!!
Sign up for the A Year of Slow Cooking newsletter and get the Top Ten Reader Favorite Recipes sent directly to your inbox!
