BLACK FOREST SOUP

Black Forest Soup image

Provided by Janus Joy Miller

Time 4h30m

Number Of Ingredients 18

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1 lb dry red beans
water as needed
1 lb ground turkey
salt and black pepper as needed
1 lb black forest ham, uncured, (about 2 thick slices, cubed)
1 large sweet onion, chopped small
5 large carrots, chopped small
1 bunch celery, chopped small
1 large pasilla pepper, chopped small
4 clove garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp thyme leaves
1 tsp gumbo file (ground sassafras)
1 Tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 tsp crushed bay leaves
1 can(s) crushed tomatoes
1 can(s) italian style stewed tomatoes
3 Tbsp better than bouillon chicken base
water, as needed

Steps:

1. Sprout the dried red beans as follows: Soak beans in water overnight. Drain. Keep covered at room temperature. Rinse twice daily for one or two days until you see a little sprout emerging. Sprouting the beans enhances their nutritional value. You can also simply soak them all day as you usually would.
2. Cook the beans on low all day in a crock pot until tender. (This is what I did because I'm not home long enough to cook things that take a long time to cook. This soup took just two sessions of half an hour of hands on work. The rest while I was away.)
3. Salt and pepper the ground turkey to taste, then saute on high.
4. Add the ham and all the chopped vegetables and saute until translucent.
5. Add cooked beans including cooking broth, all the spices, the tomatoes, and water as needed for soup consistency.
6. Simmer on low for 2 hours to let flavors marry - or enjoy as is. It just gets better and better.
7. I didn't use any cayenne or other hot pepper in this, but you can heat it to your liking.
8. Serve with jalapeno cheddar cornbread and a simple green salad.