Mar. 10, 2009
Tightwad Tuesday - Crock Pot Vegetable Bean Soup
Posted in Tightwad Tuesdays
Happy Tuesday, and welcome back to Tightwad Tuesday with Canadagirl! If you are new to Tightwad Tuesdays but are interested in joining us, please do go visit my very sweet friend Mary for more information.
Today's Tightwad tip is an inexpensive, filling crock pot meal. The first time I made this dish, my family raved and my husband and I agreed that this was an instant classic and wonderful comfort food. Because this recipe cooks for 10-12 hours, I put it on in the early mornings when I know we're going to have a busy day. Best of all, you don't need any side dishes with this meal (it could be paired with a salad quite easily, though, if you need to spread it farther); I just serve it with homemade whole wheat bread and voila! Dinner is served. I hope you enjoy it!
Vegetable Bean Soup
3 cans Great Northern beans, drained and lightly rinsed
1 bag turkey bacon pieces (like Bacon Bits, but real)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 cubes chicken bullion
3-4 Tablespoons dried, minced onion
4 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
Combine all ingredients except water in 3 1/2-quart slow cooker. Stir well, and then add water to about an inch from the top.
Cover, and cook on high for two hours, then low for 8-10 more hours. Serves 6-8 (unless you have one teen and one pre-teen boy in your home, then it's anyone's guess, lol!).
As with any recipe, of course you know that substitutions are always welcomed, and do in fact make a dish YOURS. Maybe you aren't intimidated by dry beans, and use them instead of canned. No bacon pieces? Throw in real bacon (cooked), or leftover ham. Out of minced onion? This morning I was low, so I used a combination of minced and powdered. You could use real onion, if you chose. No hard and fast rules - play with it and make it for YOUR family. My rule is that I always try a recipe the way it was written the first time I make it, then all bets are off, lol. Except when I don't. Ü
Now, for the frugality of this meal:
3 cans Great Northern beans: $0.50 ea
1 bag bacon pieces: $1.50
spices and vegetables: $1.50 altogether
Grand Total: $4.50
Assuming a generous serving to 6, that breaks down to be $0.75 a serving! Throw in some homemade bread, and you still haven't topped a dollar per person. This has to be one of the most economical and filling meals in my repertoire.
Bon Apetit!
Comments
Mar. 10, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Canadagirl
Wahoo !!! A recipe that our family can have ! (((Happy Dance)))
Thank you for sharing a recipe with NO tomatoes. I am going to have to try this SOON !
Sending you HUGE (((HUGS))) and blessings
In Him<><
-Mary
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Mar. 10, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Pam
This sounds delicious! We love bean soup. I will try this in the next week or so.
Shopping at Kroger is addicting, isn't it? I look through my ad for bargains and coupon matchups as soon as I receive it.
My kids make fun of me, but they like the savings. : )
Blessings,
Pam
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Mar. 10, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by 40winkzzz
Sounds good- I will have to try this. I just ran to get my bean basket (yes, dried beans, thankyouverymuch) down from the cabinet shelf to see if I had any great northerns. I have cannellini and navy-- maybe one of those will work. AND at the very bottom of the bin I have an unopened bag of brown rice with lots of little brown rice-sized things in it that I am pretty sure are not rice. Ack. (Yes. it's in the trash now; how did you guess? And yes, I washed the basket and am now considering whether to toss ALL the contents except the cannellini, which are a fairly recent purchase and are in a thick sturdy bag.) Oh, my navy beans are "best thru 08/08". So expired beans never killed anyone, right?
Perhaps I should stick with canned...
Anyway, yes. I am going to try the soup. Hubz doesn't like legumes, BUT he likes my black bean tortilla soup, so there is always hope... I am allowed to try things out on him.
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Mar. 10, 2009 - great recipe
Posted by Anonymous
thanks for sharing a great recipe
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Mar. 11, 2009 - Thank you!
Posted by Stephanie
My husband just said he wanted to cut back on meat and eat more soups! This is perfect! Thank you!
Stephanie
www.ahighandnoblecalling.com
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Mar. 12, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by 40winkzzz
So I made this soup (or actually my own improvised version of it) Wednesday already, and the verdict is in:
My bean-hating Hubz liked it. My bean-loving oldest daughter loved it. My "Ugh, soup again?" son loved it. My pickety-snickety youngest child tolerated it. Not bad, eh?
I used cannelini, pre-cooked pork bacon, veggie broth, and fresh garlic & onion, because that's what I had in the house. I skipped the celery b/c I had none. But let's see... oh yes, I DID use potatoes & carrots just as the recipe said. (But I didn't peel the potatoes. I never do.) I think the potatoes went a long way toward helping Hubz like the soup. He *is* half Dutch, after all.
Thanks for the great recipe!
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Mar. 13, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by solidrock
okay so how did I miss you on Tuesday! I know I did not do TWT this week but I usually visit everyone anyway! HUGS
What a great and easy recipe.
I make 10 gal of soup each week for the homeless. I can adapt this for that. We have been passing the pot to different church members lately and that has been fun! Someone made the best chicken rice soup I have ever had a couple of weeks ago. It was creamy.
Have a great weekend!
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