Baked Bean Soup

It got rather chilly yesterday. Spect it was the rain. Funny how a little rain can do that. We had to have the fire on for a time to warm things up in here. Rainy days are soup days. Soup has always equated warmth and comfort to me. Perhaps it's all those Campbell's Soup commercials I grew up with. There was always a child walking home from school in the rain, all cold and wet, only to be greeted by his mum at the door with a hot bowl of Campbell's Soup waiting on the table, usually chicken noodle. But . . . I digress . . .

I accidentally took a package of home baked beans out of the freezer the other day, thinking they were chicken in sauce. Yesterday with all the cold and rain I decided to turn them into a delicious soup. This really was wonderful and filling and oh-so-very-comforting.

The recipe is from my Fanny Farmer Cooking School cookbook. (I call it Old Reliable) That Fanny Farmer sure knew what she was doing.

*Baked Bean Soup*
Makes 8 cups
Printable Recipe

This is a truly delicious soup, using simple ingredients. Quick to make, and very simple, you can have it on the table in about 35 minutes or so. I have never tried it with tinned baked beans but I expect they would taste pretty good done up this way as well.

4 cups baked beans
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 1/2 cups tinned tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp mild chili powder
6 cups water
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Put 3 cups of the baked beans, the onion, celery, tomatoes, chili powder and water into a large pot. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered for about 30 minutes. Using a stick blender, puree until smooth. You can also use a potato masher for a slightly coarser texture. Add the reserved baked beans. Reheat, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Serve ladled into hot soup bowls for a delicious lunch time treat.