[Home]  [GFCF Recipe Index]  [Frugal Food Storage]  [Biblical Womanhood]  [Archived Recipe Index]  [Links] [New Blog]  [Old Fashioned Education]  [Prairie Homemaker]  [My Mother's Blog] Creamy White Bean & Vegetable Soup 1 cup dry white beans, great northern or navy beans OR two 15 ounce cans of beans Water as needed 2 tablespoons butter 3 carrots, peeled and sliced, (1-1/2 cups) 2 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup) 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced (2 cups) 1 onion, chopped (1/2 cup) 2 jumbo Knorr vegetarian bouillon cubes or 4 standard bouillon cubes Salt and Pepper to taste 12 ounce can evaporated milk or 1-cup instant nonfat dry milk dissolved in 1-1/2 cups water 1/2 cup cold water 1/4 cup unbleached or all-purpose flour Begin by soaking the dried beans according to your preferred method. Drain well. Cover the beans with fresh water. Place them in a 4-quart pot and simmer on the back of the stove for about 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until tender. Or, if you're using canned beans then open them, rinse if desired, and pour into a 4-quart pot. Add enough water to cover the beans completely. Meanwhile prepare the vegetables. When the beans are soft add the butter, prepared vegetables and bouillon. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add more water as needed to keep the beans and vegetables immersed but not swimming. Taste the soup. Add salt and pepper according to taste. I like lots of pepper. Pour in the milk. Now here comes the tricky part so pay attention. In a jar with a good lid combine 1/2-cup cold water (make sure it's cold) and 1/4-cup unbleached or all-purpose flour. Screw on the lid tightly and shake until the flour is dissolved in the water.  You may have to shake it a lot. I always shake over the sink because no matter how tightly I apply the lid it always leaks. This combination of water and flour is called a slurry. It's used for thickening sauces and soups without adding extra fat. Add your slurry to the boiling soup. Stir frequently, until it thickens. Add additional water if necessary to thin the soup to the consistency you prefer. Serve hot. I like a hearty whole grain muffin with this soup. Makes 6 servings. Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 442 Calories; 13g Fat (26.4% calories from fat); 19g Protein; 64g Carbohydrate; 13g Dietary Fiber; 41mg Cholesterol; 522mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat. Light Version Use great northern beans because they are lower in calories than Navy beans. Reduce the butter to 2-teaspoons. Use evaporated skim milk or the powdered milk alternative instead of whole evaporated milk. Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 360 Calories; 3g Fat (7.8% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 65g Carbohydrate; 13g Dietary Fiber; 8mg Cholesterol; 490mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat. [Home]  [GFCF Recipe Index]  [Frugal Food Storage]  [Biblical Womanhood]  [Archived Recipe Index]  [Links] [New Blog]  [Old Fashioned Education]  [Prairie Homemaker]  [My Mother's Blog] GFCF = Gluten Free & Casein Free The Christian Counter © FrugalAbundance 2007-2008  :-)  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.  Use hospitality one to another without grudging.  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.--1 Peter 4:8-10