I think it can happen to anyone. I wouldn’t call it a BAD thing. I just think it’s common and we shouldn’t read too much into it. Or judge.
To my face.
I bought a bag of dried mixed beans soup thingy from Trader Joe’s. Uh huh, the one with the instructions printed on the side!
OH THE HORROR.
But hold on chachi, before that vein in your forehead starts throbbing to the beat of Outkast’s “Hey Ya”, let me ‘splain.
I was looking for straight up lentils, and TJ was out. So, the nice sales lady showed me the bag of mixed beans. The colors….the shapes….the hip graphics on the package. SOLD.
I DID willy nilly with the recipe a little bit, switching out seasonings, adding a tomato bouillon cube, burning sage incense right over the pot to keep out the negativity of this world.
Just kidding.
The sage burned in the living room.
You guys, make this soup. You know those bags of dried beans you’ve had in your pantry since Clinton was president? They now have a new purpose in life. Add whatever seasonings you dig. Add a meat if need be.
Just promise me you’ll pony up to a bowl, in your robe, on your sofa, with your puppy, next to a fire, with Laverne & Shirley on Netflix.
There will be no regrets.
17 Bean and Barley Soup:
What it took for like 450. (or 6)
* 1 (1 lb) Trader Joe’s 17 Bean and Barley soup mix (or 2 cups of your favorite mix of dried beans, barley and lentils; soaked overnight)
* 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/2 large white onion, chopped
* 2 carrots, chopped
* 2 stalks celery, chopped
* 1 red bell pepper, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 Tbs Herbs De Provence
* 1 Tbs dried basil
* 4 cups vegetable broth
* 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, in their juices
* 1 tomato bouillon cube
* coarse salt and pepper
Toss the soaked bean/barley mix into a large pot. Add the broth and canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
In the meantime, heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and red bell pepper. Sprinkle with Herbs De Provence, dried basil, a good pinch of salt and pepper. Saute until veggies start to soften, 5 minutes.
Add the veggies to the soup pot. Add the bouillon cube, partially cover and simmer on medium for an hour. If ya need to add water at any point, toss a cup in.
Taste and season accordingly. If the beans need a little longer, simmer another 20 minutes.
Just taste that. I KNOW.
Mmmm! Love this soup! Bring on the beans!
Bean soups are the best!
I was literally pouring over cookbooks trying to find a soup that would be hearty and one which I could find the ingredients for (you’d be surprised what is hard to find in a small Italian town). Anywho, this is perfect! While not TJ’s, I do have a neighborhood store that sells nothing but beans! I am sure they can hook me up with a good substitute!
Ciao!
Yum. Definitely loving this!
Love all the veggies in this! Hearty and healthy! Love it!
I’m on it. No shame in the bean mix!
I’m such a bean fan! Love this!
Gorgeous!! I would totally seduced with all of the colors, too, especially if a TJ employee pointed it out to me. They’re all pretty cool.
Laverne and Shirley is on netflix? That is rad.
And I found a bag of these mixed beans called “Manischewitz” (you know, like the Jewish feast?) on sale last year and they’re still in my pantry. You rescued them, hooray!
Beans, beans the magical fruit, the more you eat………………
The better you play the flute?
Why is your photography so beautiful?? It’s so good disgusting, that’s what it is. You should do some food photography tutorials–I will flock over here and hang on every word.
Jenna, you’re too sweet to me! Really, and I’m serious – I wing it every day. I know a few things, but I have a long way to go! But thank you for keeping me motivated!
colorful and healthy! (toot, toot)
gorgeous photos, as usual. i love the bean-tipping shot.
and i love the looks of this soup!!
This is exactly what i was looking for today. Thanks bev.
Ha! I have this EXACT soup on the stove right now….BEFORE I saw this post! Great minds think alike!
Gorgeous photos dear. I love beans anything, be it soups etc. This is definitely comfort food for me
Another winner. I’m so friggin’ excited about this one. I do love me some beans. They’re so good for the heart.
ha. {I’m so jr high.}
I saw this on TK… printed the recipe… and making it this weekend! Beans, beans the magical fruit… {yeah I went there}
Hi I found your awesome blog via Simply Scratch
I am SO glad I did, too! This soup is right up my alley, but really any soup is. The bag o beans you refer to is one of the most underutilized and delicious things in the grocery store. If you season it yourself, like you’ve done here 
I’m a little bummed out that I don’t have a bowl now as I am in my robe, on the couch and Laverne and Shirley could be on with a mere few clicks of the remote!
Hey, Andrea! It’s great to meet you!
Laurie rules it, huh?
Thanks for the comment!
I love me a good bag of beans! Especially from my beloved Trader Joe’s. This looks divine and just perfect for the blah rainy days we’ve had this week.
Nom. I’m still working on a giant batch of soup I made a few days ago but this one looks great. We don’t have a Trader Joe’s up in these parts but I do have some dried beans. I finally started cooking dried beans lately, makes me feel like a real cook.
I found this as I was literally making my grocery list, with a trip to Trader Joes in mind! Totally making this tonight.
I added 1 parsnip in place of one carrot. They’re in season now and I had them in my fridge. I also added a bay leaf while the soup simmered.
To make a variation I would maybe take out about 1/2-3/4 cup of the bean mix and cook some small pasta pieces on the side and add them before serving.
Thanks for the recipe. This soup is divine!