Lite Bean Soup

White bean soup with pork and baby spinach-healthy and delicious.

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Ingredients:

• 1 pound white or navy beans
• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin oil or other cooking oil
• 1 1/2 pounds pork, country ribs or shoulder
• garlic powder
• 1 medium to large white onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 8 cups boiling water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper, of choice
• 7 ounces baby spinach

Method

Thoroughly rinse beans under cold water and pick out rocks. Put in 4 quart pot and cover with water several inches above beans. Bring to a boil on high heat, then lower heat to a slow boil and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let beans soak from 1 to 4 hours, adding additional water if necessary. While beans are soaking preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a baking pan large enough to hold pork on a rack. Coat both sides of pork with oil and dust with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Put pan of pork in oven and roast until pork begins to brown, turning pork over once, (this will remove excess fat from the pork and provide a hearty flavor to the soup). Turn off oven, remove pan from oven and set aside until ready to use pork in recipe. When ready to use, thoroughly drain beans and set aside. Peel then chop onion in to large, chunky pieces. Using a deep, 4 quart or larger pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat, until hot but not smoking. Add onion and saute until onion begins to soften. Smash garlic cloves with the flat side of a large knife, and remove peel. Add garlic and pork to onions and saute about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, being careful not to brown the garlic. Add 8 cups boiling water, pepper, salt, bay leaf, and beans. Bring to a full boil on high heat, turn heat down to maintain a slow boil and cook until beans are slightly tender but still crunchy, adding water as necessary to keep water level at least 2-3 inches above beans. Stir every 10-15 minutes. When beans are cooked, remove bay leaf. Taste soup and beans and add salt and pepper to taste. Bring liquid back to a boil over high heat and stir in spinach. After liquid returns to full boil, turn heat to medium-low and boil gently for approximately 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Notes: This soup is excellent prepared the day before so the flavors have time to blend and you can skim the fat off the top before heating to serve.

Number of servings: 7

Submitted By: Kimberly Fay
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