Make Do and Eat: White Bean and Chicken Soup

AN INTRODUCTION

Here is my latest food experiment.  Currently I keep a food journal in a spiral notebook where I right down meal ideas for special ingredients such as what to make with brussel sprouts, apples, ham, etc. etc.  My current goal is to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in our diet, and more variety.  This couldn't have come at a better time considering my husband is on a low-carb diet, and I intend to improve my health as well.

When I was in Culinary School our Introduction to Culinary Arts instructor, the very funny Chef Ron, pushed the policy, "Total utilization is our ultimate goal," and I concur.  I hate throwing away wasted ingredients, buying what I already have, and having a meal come out so bad that it sits in the fridge uneaten.  Food costs are just as important in the home as in the restaurant, and while your family won't go out of business like most restaurants will if you don't control your spending, as Alton Brown would say, "Organization will set you free."

I was reading some posts about fashion on the ration involving the policy of make do and mend which was a big idea during World War II.  While I'm definitely not on my way yet to upcycling and altering my clothing around mine or my families needs, I believe I have enough experience with the food industry, to apply those same concepts to our weekly meal plan.  Hence my brainchild, the make do and eat experiment.  Where one night a week I have to make one dinner that is completely unplanned, made only with ingredients I have on hand, and with no prep done beforehand.

Experiment #1 White Bean and Chicken Soup
When my son was a newborn, we ate ALOT of already prepared meals, and the fresh soups from the grocery store were one of my favorites.  At the time I couldn't have dairy, because my breastfeeding son was allergic, so when I was in the mood for creamy without the dairy I would eat alot of the Rosemary White Bean Chicken soup from Safeway.  Here is my interpretation of that with ingredients I had on hand.

First I sorted and washed one bag of white beans.  Great Northern or Navy beans would work here as well.  Notice I didn't soak the beans overnight?  You really don't need to if you don't mind your beans being mushy, which in this recipe, would be preferable.  You will however have to allow extra cooking time.

Next I surveyed what kind of produce we had on hand.  Hearts of celery, an onion, a couple cloves of garlic from the commissary (where the produce tends to be found lacking in the freshness and flavor department), and some leftover carrots from the last time we went to the farmer's market (about 1-2 months ago!  and still tasting fresher and sweeter than most supermarket carrots.  On a side note if you can get your produce at a farmer's market than there is no better way to go, besides growing it yourself)
I washed, scrubbed, peeled, and chopped those up including the leaves of the celery which are fine where prettiness isn't a concern, like in this almost stew like soup.

A bowl to catch food garbage is a good idea if you don't have a trash can nearby.  I would say even if you do have one nearby it's still a good idea, since touching a trash lid is never a good idea while you are cutting up your dinner.  The Tinkerbell mug in the background used to be my favorite, but I have since gone to a smaller mug, because I have cut back my caffeine consumption.

Added a small amount of Pure (not Extra Virgin) Olive oil to a large soup pot.  Turned the heat to medium-low, and threw in a pinch of kosher salt.  This process is called sweating, and the goal is to cook the vegetables until they turn transparent, and the moisture is drawn out of them.  We won't be browning during this process.  The veggie mixture of 2 parts onion to 1 part celery, and 1 part carrot is called a mirepoix.  There are many types of mirepoixs and they are the basis for many frequently made dishes.  This is a French mirepoix.

While the veggies were starting to cook, I used my chef's knife to chop up the garlic.  You'll want to add garlic at the end of cooking because it will burn faster than the other vegetables will.

A note about knife placement.  This was a big one they emphasized in school, and one I use at home expecially if you have small ones running around at home or you are prone to bumping into stuff.  Above is the wrong way to set down your knife when you aren't using it.  See how it is in the middle of the cutting board.

And this is the right way.  I keep a wet abrasive cloth under my board to keep it from sliding on the counter.  Blade facing away from you, and as far back on the cutting board as possible.  Off of and behind the cutting board would be even better, but obviously I don't have the room here!  Also, if you drop your knife DON'T try to catch it, and don't stand there and watch it fall to your feet.  Sounds obvious, but seriously you will want to catch it, and it will be a reflex.  Step back and let it fall to the floor.  I have known too many cooks who have taken trips to the ER because of this.

OK.  Add the garlic and soften it for only about a minute.  It will add an intoxicating smell to your kitchen.

Add beans and broth to the pot.  I used about 1 1/2 containers of low-sodium natural chicken broth.  I wish I could give an exact amount, but really it all depends on what you put into your pot.  I always have 3 kinds of broth on hand, so if I needed more than this I could have opened a new container.  I added just enough to cover the tops of the beans.

Now normally I would have ground some rosemary in my mortal and pestle (or chopped with a knife if you don't have one, or even run through a clean coffee grinder which wouldn't be my personal preference because rosemary powder just sounds weird, but to each there own.  Powder would be better than rosemary stems getting stuck in your teeth) and added it now.  However I discovered we were out so I instead added thyme.  Thyme is not going to substitute rosemary in any way, but I find that I like it in chicken so in it went.

Bring to a boil.  Do not season to taste yet.  Wait until it is cooked down or you may oversalt.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover.  Again I wish I could give exact times, but there are just too many factors.  Cook it until it's done.  One of my cookbooks said about 1-1/2 hours, but I found it took closer to 2-3 hours.  You'll just have to check it from time to time.  Once the beans are soft it is done.

I like to remove the lid for a few minutes, and let it simmer uncovered to cook off some of the condensation that drips down from the lid.  I feel it gives a prettier appearance, and a more appealing texture.  I tasted and added salt and pepper to my liking.  I added previously cooked chicken from another meal again I don't have exact amounts I just added to my liking.  The chicken was frozen so I cooked just until it was warmed through.  Since the soup was so beige I added bagged frozen peas for added color and nutrition, and removed the pot from the heat.  The residual heat is enough to cook the peas through by the time the soup is served at the table.

TA-DA!!!!!!!