Savory Soup Beans

A warm bowlful of these beans is another take on traditional Appalachian cuisine (like my Unfried Apple Pies from the other night), and is perfect to take the edge off cold weather. Although normally smoked with pork, this version has been made vegan but still smoky thanks to paprika.

To start, place one and a half cups dried pinto beans in a saucepan, and cover with water to about 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil, and cook at a boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain and set aside.

If you want to reuse the same saucepan and cut down on dishes, just wipe it down with a paper towel first. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 and 1/2 cups finely chopped onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon paprika; saute 4 minutes.

For the best flavor, buy Spanish smoked paprika. You can buy it online from Spice House: www.thespicehouse.com (Note: in a pinch, Hungarian paprika will do as well, which is what I used since it's already in my spice cabinet).

Add the pinto beans, 3 and 1/2 cups water, and 1 bay leaf to the pot. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for an hour and a half - the beans should be nice and tender by then.

Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 tsp. salt. Remove the bay leaf. Partially mash the beans (a potato masher works well), then ladle into bowls.

One and a half cups is 290 calories - you'll have 4 servings.

Cost:
dried pinto beans $2.06
onion $1.19