New Year's Day Bean Soup

This has been a family tradition forever.  I came across this recipe in 1980 at a holiday craft fair at a local armory.  Someone was selling 1 pound packs of 12 - 16 bean blend in cute calico bags with this recipe attached on a card.  I've seen other versions that include a tiny bottle of tabasco tied to the beans as well.  Through the years, we've given this or gifts and even had the cub scouts make this for their moms by layering the different beans in 1 pint mason jars and tying the recipe cards to the jar.  It turns out that a 1 pint jar holds 1 pound of beans.  As I'm gotten older, I just buy the 16 bean mix at the local grocery store and put them in the soup pot to soak before I go to bed New Year's Eve.

Happy New Year!  Enjoy!

New Year’s Day Bean Soup

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 bag of Mixed Beans (Butter beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, great

northern beans, navy beans, blackeyed peas, split peas etc.

1 ham hock, ham bone, smoked ham piece's, or 1 - 2 pounds beef shank
1 - 28 oz can chopped or crushed tomatoes
1 garlic clove
1 small onion (chopped)
1 lemon
red pepper (to taste, 1/4 - 1/2 tsp.)
1 1/2 tbsp.salt (less if preferred)
pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

Wash beans thoroughly. Place in large kettle & cover with water. Add 1 1/2 tbsp. salt & soak overnight.

In morning drain. Add 2 quarts water, and ham hock, smoked ham or beef shanks. Simmer slowly 2 1/2 - 3 hrs.  Remove any bones and shred or chop meat. Add onion, tomatoes, red pepper, juice of lemon, salt & pepper to taste. Simmer at least 30 minutes longer. Enjoy with crackers & green salad.

Cranberry Pear Salsa

This has been one of our favorite holiday appetizers for 20 years.  I first had it when a friend brought it to work.  I like to serve it with sweet potato tortilla chips but really any kind of chip will do.  It's also good on turkey sandwiches!

Cranberry-Pear Salsa

Printable Recipe

Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine, Dec 1996/Jan 1997

Delicious with tortilla chips, this salsa is even better on turkey

sandwiches.

Yields 4 1/2 cups.

12 oz. Fresh cranberries

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pears (about 2 medium pears)

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar

1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced

1 tsp. Minced orange zest

2 Tbs. Fresh orange juice

1 Tbs. Canola oil

Pinch salt

Chop the cranberries, or pulse them in a food processor until coarse.  

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently.  

Taste and adjust seasonings.