Support

Beans beans, they’re good for the heart… (By Tina)

0131091154

One of my new years resolutions was to spend less time worrying about what other people think. The other was to spend more time cooking for myself. So this week, I thought I would share one of my favorite recipes with PoPville…Bean Soup. It’s healthy, it’s hearty, it’s easy to make, and for less than $10 I can make enough to feed myself for about a week. It also holds up really well in the freezer, and I think it actually tastes better after a day or two. Of all it’s benefits, for me, the best thing about this soup is that it’s something my mom used to make all the time when I was a kid. I actually didn’t care much for it until I was a little older, but even so, it seems to have some restorative properties for those days when I don’t do so well with resolution number one.

Through the years I have come to love this meal, in fact I have come to love just about any meal that includes beans. Maybe you also really like bean soup, but you don’t like to cook, or would rather spend your $10 outside of the grocery store? Or maybe you came here for a recommendation on a local business or restaurant and not some silly anecdote and a page from my personal recipe book. Whatever the reason, I know that alot of people like to hate on Dos Gringos (Perhaps a good topic for Robyn’s next installment of In Defense Of…) but I’ve found that all of their annoying quirks aside, they serve a pretty tasty bean soup over there. They actually call it Veggie Chili, and though I am hardly a chili expert, in my opinion it’s definitely more of a soup or a stew. Whatever you want to call it, it is loaded with beans and vegetables and it’s a good meal on a gloomy winter day. Much as I enjoy the Veggie Chili at this Mount Pleasant establishment, I think I prefer to stay at home, save a few bucks and make my own bean soup. But you? You can go head over to 3116 Mount Pleasant Street and get yourself a bowl of veggie chili for less than $5, or make it into a burrito for $7.

The recipe for my Bean Soup follows. I don’t think Dos Gringos will give me theirs… Continues after the jump.

1 package of Goya 16 bean soup mix

1 15oz can stewed tomatoes – dont drain
6 cups of water (you can add more if you like a thinner consistency)
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium sized onion)
2 or 3 celery stalks – chopped
2 or 3 carrots – chopped
3 tbps fresh chopped parsley or 3 tsp of dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2-3 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
3 tbsp red wine vinegar

You’ll need to soak the beans beforehand. You can leave them to soak overnight in 3 or 4 cups of water (room temp) or you can use a quick-soak method. Put the beans in a pot with 3 – 4 cups of water, bring it to a boil for about 3 minutes and then remove the pot from the heat and set it aside for 2 hours. Whichever method you use, be sure to drain and rinse the beans before you cook them.

Add everything except the vinegar and stewed tomatoes to the pot.

Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer with the pot covered for an hour and a half

Add vinegar and tomatoes and simmer for another 30 minutes.

I kind of like the plain-jane version, but you can jazz this up with whatever you like; pasta, rice, spinach, or, if you are feeling fancy – add a couple of chopped up hot dogs, turkey dogs, tofu dogs….

Recent Stories

From an email: “We have an upcoming free yoga weekend event happening at Reunion 4/6-4/7: Join Reunion Hot Yoga in Park View, DC for a free weekend of yoga Saturday…

Sweet City Ride

Thanks to Mandi for sending: “1930 Oldsmobile? That’s just the best guess of someone who knows nothing about cars but faithfully attended the Iola Car Show with her dad every…

Photo by Julian Ortiz Ed. Note: If this was you, please email [email protected] so I can put you in touch with OP. “Dear PoPville, Man in Ovi jersey headed towards…

“Taylor with her duck at a dog park in Old Town.” If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please send an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’…

Calling all bookworms, thrill-seekers, supporters of the arts, and ping-pongers at all skill levels! Sign up for Paddlestar Galactica, the ping-pong tournament supporting 826DC’s youth writing programs.

826DC is a local nonprofit that offers free writing programs, homework help, and publishing opportunities for DC students ages 6-18, in our Columbia Heights writing center and in learning spaces across the city.

Paddlestar Galactica helps keep writing education 100% free and accessible for all of our students! It’s also extremely fun.

This year’s games will be Saturday, April 27th, 1 PM to 4 PM at SPIN DC. It’ll be a chaotic afternoon of ping-pong, costumes, terrible Battlestar Galactica puns, and good cheer. We’d love to have you join us!

Read More

Submit your own Announcement here.

Well-Paid Maids, the only certified living-wage cleaning service in the DMV, has added a new service to its online booking menu: office and building cleanings.

This includes offices, building lobbies, shared amenity spaces and more throughout D.C., Arlington, Alexandria and more.

Unlike so many other cleaning services, you can feel good booking Well-Paid Maids to clean your office or building. Cleaners get paid a starting wage of $24 an hour. Plus, all employees are offered health, dental, vision and life insurance; 24 paid days off per year; 100% employer-paid commuting costs; and more.

Read More

Submit your own Announcement here.

Vakili Band at Pie Shop!

Three band rock n rolll lineup at DC’s Pie Shop! Vakili Band with “if you know, you know” DC rockers, Lot 18, and the many minds and songs of artist Kind of Christine.

“If you love Vakili Band like we

×

Subscribe to our mailing list