Two-Bit Navy Bean Soup with Pan-Fried Carrots and Potatoes Recipe

Diced pan-fried potatoes add a twist to this classic American soup. Navy Bean Soup is plain Yankee cooking at its best, so don’t even think about “spicing it up” with garlic, basil or other Mediterranean herbs.

This soup’s “two-bit” moniker doesn’t imply inferior taste: It means, yes indeedy, you can serve forth Navy Bean Soup with Pan-Fried Carrots and Potatoes for less than 25 cents a bowl.

Two-Bit Navy Bean Soup with Pan-Fried Carrots and Potatoes

1 pound navy beans, washed and picked over
4 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced
1 Knorr’s Chicken or Vegetable Bouillon Cube
Fresh ground pepper
Salt

1. At least three hours before you plan to serve soup, cook the beans. Pour beans into a colander and wash with cold water, see photo, below. Pick over to remove bad beans and pebbles. If cooking in crockpot, put beans in pot, add bouillon cube, cover with water and put on lid. Simmer beans for 2-3 hours until just tender. To cook beans on stove, follow instructions on bean package.











2. In the meantime, in a large skillet heat one tablespoon oil.
3. Throw in onion, stir, adjust flame and cook gently for 3-4 minutes until it softens. Be careful not to let it brown.
4. While onion fries gently, peel and dice carrots, see photos below.







5. When onion is soft, push to sides of skillet. In center of skillet pour one more tablespoon oil. Tilt pan to coat center of skillet with oil.
6. When oil is hot, add diced carrots, stirring to coat with oil. Sauté carrots for 4-5 minutes, adjusting flame to sauté until slightly golden, see photo.





7. Scrape onion and carrots into pot with cooked navy beans, see photo.





8. Wipe skillet with paper towel—or use a separate skillet for next step.
9. Peel and dice potatoes.
10. Pour two tablespoons oil into skillet and heat on medium high flame.
11. When oil is hot, throw in diced potatoes, tossing them to coat with oil.
12. Season potatoes with salt and pepper, cover skillet with lid, reduce flame and steam-fry potatoes 2-3 minutes to cook them through.
13. Remove lid and continue to fry, letting moisture evaporate and potatoes cook to golden brown, see photo. Set aside.



14. Beans and vegetables are done when carrots are very soft. Scoop 3 cups of beans and vegetables into a food processor and purée.
15. Spoon purée back to pot.
16. Stir in sautéed potatoes; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste and ladle into tureen.

Serves 8 generously.