Aunt Agnes' Bean Stew
1/2 cup dried kidney beans, soaked overnight
1/2 cup dried large limas or butter beans, soaked overnight
1/2 cup dried great Northern beans, soaked overnight
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup vegan bacon bits
olive oil, as needed
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1/8-1/4 teaspoon hickory smoke flavor
2 (15 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1 medium bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, optional
1. After soaking, put drained beans in crock pot. Combine 4-6 cups soaking water with the tomato paste. Add vegan bacon bits to crock pot.
2. In separate skillet, saute peppers, onion, celery in enough oil to prevent sticking. Add hickory smoke flavor. Saute until soft, but not browned.
3. Add vegetables to beans. Add stewed tomatoes, bay leaf and garlic powder.
4. Cook on medium for 6-8 hours. Serve with crusty vegan bread.
SO HOW'D IT GO?
This one is a keeper for me. I used a package of 12 bean soup mix minus the flavor packet, added two chopped potatoes, some barley and used 1 can regular tomatoes and 1 can Rotel. I pureed a few cups of the stew and added it back to the crockpot to thicken it up a little more. Added a little sea salt, some pepper and some cumin at the end. Had it for lunch this afternoon with some fresh cornbread. Yummmm. :)
I'm browsing for crockpot recipes and I just saw this one. I have always understood that the soaking liquid from soaking the beans should be discarded as it contains all sorts of nasties that can cause gastric discomfort. I always discard the soaking liquid and rinse the beans and use fresh water to cook them. Maybe things are different with slow cookers?