Recipe
1930s Depression Bean Soup
A filling navy-bean soup stretched with onion, carrot, and a ham bone or smoked seasoning: Depression thrift in a pot.
Context
Dried beans were cheap protein when meat was scarce.
A ham bone, bacon end, or even a pinch of smoked paprika today stands in for the flavor scrap many kitchens saved. Long simmering softens the beans and thickens the broth without cream.
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried navy or great northern beans, soaked overnight
- 1 ham bone, or 4 oz smoked bacon
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
- 8 cups water or light stock
- 1 bay leaf
- to taste salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Drain beans. Put in a large pot with water or stock, ham bone or bacon, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer gently 1½ to 2 hours until beans are very tender. Add water if needed.
- Remove bone; shred any meat back into the pot. Mash a cup of beans against the side to thicken, if desired.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with bread or cornmeal muffins.