Rev: Mexican Ham & Bean Soup, Oct 2002

**Ralph** · 10-02-2002, 08:04 PM

I don't think there are enough thumbs up icons for this recipe! WOW!

I thought I had seen a prior review for this, but searches turned up nothing.

Anyhow, with no disrespect to the much-lauded turkey with mole sauce, this is definitely the best CL recipe I've made all year. The only drawback: It takes over 3 hours to cook!

But, absolutely well worth it. The only change I made was using a pasilla chile rather than a chipotle (but I added about half a teaspoon of chipotle powder). I suppose it could be made with canned beans, but I'm not sure how they would soak up all the liquid while cooking that long.

Served it with the suggested Oatmeal Molasses Bread, which was also really good! See my review here .

**Terri-Lynn** · 10-02-2002, 08:16 PM

Thanks for the great review, looks like another great soup to add to my ever growing to try list.

This is why I love fall!!

Terri

**Gina O** · 10-02-2002, 08:23 PM

Another recipe request... if someone has this in Mastercook I would greatly appreciate you posting it. I would love to make this over the weekend as I await the October issue to forward to me from my old address. Thanks, Gina

**valchemist** · 10-02-2002, 08:27 PM

the cookpac just came out today (after I had already typed up the Chicken Pasanda recipe

), so here it is.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Mexican Ham and Bean Soup

Recipe By :Cooking Light Magazine. October 2002. Page: 214.
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Soups

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pound dried pinto beans
8 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups cubed smoked ham steak (about 8 ounces)
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 can (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 chipotle chile (or dried ancho or pasilla
chile)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Manchego cheese or
Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions.
A perfectly sweet partner for this filling soup is our molasses bread.

The Oatmeal Molasses Bread recipe can be found in the October 2002 issue.

1. Sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain.

2. Combine beans, broth, and next 8 ingredients (broth through garlic) in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Partially cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

3. Stir in tomatoes and chile; simmer 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves and chile. Ladle soup into 8 bowls. Top with cheese; sprinkle with cilantro. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1-1/2 cups soup, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 1 tablespoon cilantro).

**Gina O** · 10-02-2002, 08:34 PM

Wow, that was fast!!! Thanks sooooo much. This sounds so good. Gina

**AnnaSue** · 10-02-2002, 08:49 PM

Ralph..what kind of meat did you use for this? I was thinking about making this later this week, but I'm not exactly sure what a "smoked ham steak" is.

Where did you find it?

**SueK** · 10-03-2002, 07:15 AM

Ralph- thanks for the review. This is one of the recipes I have on my "to do" list, so it's great to know it tasted good.

**funnybone** · 10-03-2002, 07:41 AM

Thanks for the review, Ralph. I have been waiting for some colder weather to make this one. I don't like making things that take a long time if it is still 80F out there.

Anna Sue - you can find the smoked ham steak in your meat/deli section of the store. It's probably near the smoked kielbassa, and other packaged meat. Or you can just get some smoked ham at the deli counter and tell them to slice a thick slice off. I think smoked turkey could work as well, and even kielbassa too.

**AnnaSue** · 10-03-2002, 07:43 AM

Thanks Funnybone - I'll look for it later today!

**Peggy C.** · 10-03-2002, 07:46 AM

Originally posted by AnnaSue
Ralph..what kind of meat did you use for this? I was thinking about making this later this week, but I'm not exactly sure what a "smoked ham steak" is. Where did you find it?

AnnaSue, usually you can find individual hamsteaks (with or without bone) vacuum packed near the whole and half hams in your grocery store. The ones with bones are considerably larger than the 8 oz. called for in this recipe, but the left overs would be good in an omelet or srambled eggs.

edited to say...oops Fanny (

) and I must have been posting at the same time.

**Ohioan** · 10-03-2002, 10:25 AM

Do you think smoked turkey would work in lieu of the ham?

Cheers,
Phoebe

**Ralph** · 10-04-2002, 02:45 PM

Originally posted by funnybone
you can find the smoked ham steak in your meat/deli section of the store. It's probably near the smoked kielbassa, and other packaged meat

Exactly where I found it. And oddly enough, the label said exactly that: Smoked Ham Steak!

And, Phoebe, I think turkey would work fine.

**mochadelsol** · 10-04-2002, 02:52 PM

I also just made this

Thursday night dinner was this great soup recipe. I had to do things differently, I woke up sick and didn't start the beans

But I had Trappy's Pinto Beans w/Jala. peppers. I used 4 cans of those drained. Added only 5 cups of chicken broth. I also found the smoked ham in meat/deli. Even my DD loved it, and asked for more. I made a sweet cornbread to go with.

**LauraBL** · 10-06-2002, 03:18 PM

My DH and I loved this recipe too. This will definitely be a repeater. I couldn't find dried chipotle chiles so I also bought the pasilla chiles. I had trouble finding the ham steak at Jewel and almost bought pork loin instead...but then I found the ham steak (Cook's brand) near the end of the meat area. I used some of the "New Mexican Chile Powder" for the chile powder in the recipe. That surely added to the smoky flavor.

I made a buttermilk cornbread (baked in the oven in a cast iron skillet) to go with it. I ended up starting this recipe on Tuesday night and staying up too late waiting for the beans to cook. I finished cooking the recipe on Wednesday night. We also cooked up some basmati rice (strange, yes, but out of regular rice) and mixed up the rice and soup in our bowls. YUMOLA!

Laura

**valchemist** · 10-06-2002, 03:23 PM

the recipe doesn't call for a dried chipotle. unless I am mistaken. it just says 1 chipotle chile.

**funnybone** · 10-06-2002, 03:34 PM

Originally posted by valchemist
the recipe doesn't call for a dried chipotle. unless I am mistaken. it just says 1 chipotle chile.

I'll be making this one this week and was going to use a chipotle chile in adobo sauce. Is that what they are referring to?

**helene** · 10-06-2002, 04:39 PM

Thanks for the great review, Ralph.

Now, with cold days here in Canada, it's time to try soup.

**valchemist** · 10-06-2002, 04:57 PM

Originally posted by funnybone

I'll be making this one this week and was going to use a chipotle chile in adobo sauce. Is that what they are referring to?

that was my impression. I will be making it that way on tuesday.

**mochadelsol** · 10-06-2002, 10:00 PM

For lunch on Sat. I took some leftover chicken and dumped it in the leftover soup, and once again everyone said they loved this soup

**Peggy** · 10-06-2002, 11:43 PM

mochadelsol,

So glad to hear that someone used canned beans!! I have this on my menus for this week, but while working, there is no way that I have 3 hours to make dinner after I get home. I had planned on using canned pinto beans but am so glad to hear that someone else already tried this with success!

F.Y.I. - I also plan on using a chipolte chile in adobo sauce instead of a dried chile. Can't wait to give this recipe a try!!!

Peggy

**funnybone** · 10-07-2002, 07:37 AM

One question - How many cans of canned beans for 1 lb of dried? Mochdelsol used 4 cans (assuming they are 15 oz) - that seems like too many. But then again, I don't know much about dried beans.

**wallycat** · 10-07-2002, 07:55 AM

My soup is on the stove as we speak!!
I soaked my dried beans overnight, so that cuts out the long soaking/cooking time .
I'm also using a smoked turkey leg, so I'll post back how it turned out...AND I cut the recipe in half...

Dried beans close to triple in size, so 1 cup dried will give you (give or take) about 3 cups cooked....most canned are 14.5 oz. which is shy of 2 cups so my guess would be a litte over 1/2 cup dried or there-abouts for to give you "one can's worth"....

**NancyR** · 10-07-2002, 07:56 AM

I have mentioned this before but this thread is a good place to repeat for those of you who didn't see it. A very excellent place to get ham for making soup is Heavenly Ham (the chain of stores). Ordinarily I don't go near the places but someone tipped me off to this and it it just the best bargain around. They sell "soup bones" which is what they have left after slicing ham for sandwiches in the store. You get a HUGE bone wrapped in foil for about $3.50 (forget the exact price). I usually get 2 or 3 and use one, freeze the rest. They usually still have quite a bit of meat on them and, needless to say, are super tasty.

**Ralph** · 10-07-2002, 08:33 AM

Originally posted by valchemist
the recipe doesn't call for a dried chipotle. unless I am mistaken. it just says 1 chipotle chile.

By definition, a chipotle is a dried, smoked jalapeno. I think they're just packaged in adobo sauce since that's how they're most often used. I did find a very small bag of them (1 oz.) at Whole Foods, but I didn't feel like spending 2.99 to use just one chile when I had a bunch of pasillas in the pantry. To be honest, I don't think using a chipotle packed in adobo would harm this recipe at all!

As best I recall, when CL recommends a chipotle from an adobo-packed can, they specify just that. And they always list a 7oz. can in the ingredient list, but tell you to remove one chile from the can & set the others aside for future use.

**valchemist** · 10-07-2002, 08:49 AM

oops. you are right, Ralph. That makes sense. thanks. but I still will end up using the chipotle in adobo, because I can't find dried chiles around here. hope it comes out ok!

**mochadelsol** · 10-07-2002, 08:51 AM

I didn't think that 4 cans made it too full of beans, even with the reduced chicken broth it was still soupy, in fact next I would have liked it to be alittle thicker. Next time I will make it with dried beans.

**wallycat** · 10-07-2002, 09:21 AM

I also used chipotle (ground powder) from penzey's ...so I'll let you know if it's too spicy. Of course, not having used the original chipotle, I won't be able to compare it...but at least you'll know if it's good...

**valchemist** · 10-07-2002, 09:28 AM

Originally posted by wallycat
I also used chipotle (ground powder) from penzey's ...so I'll let you know if it's too spicy.

I have ground chipotle from penzey's, too. so maybe I will use that instead. how much did you use?

**LauraBL** · 10-07-2002, 10:34 AM

Phew! I was getting confused there myself about the chipotle thing. Please report in on how the beans turned out with the chipotles in adobo sauce. I didn't find the recipe had a lot of "heat" in it with just the one pasilla chile.

Laura

**wallycat** · 10-07-2002, 11:50 AM

Val,
I used 1/8 tsp because DH does NOT like spicey food...and because I cut the recipe in half.
I'll report back this evening

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