What a disappointment!!

[mary.margaret]

I need help rescuing my soup!

So I bought 2 bags of the 15 bean assortment designed for soup. They are so pretty (funny to say that about beans) and I was really looking forward to it! I soaked the beans overnight, then cooked them for 3 hours today, then followed the directions on the back of the package.

I only had ground sausage so I used that instead of ham or smoked sausage... whether that makes all the difference or not, I don't know, but it was nasty! It has no flavor whatsoever!

It's a huge 6 quart pot of bean soup - I hate to throw it out. Anyone have tips on how to revive it so that we could eat more of it this week? How could I flavor it better?

Thanks,
Mary-Margaret

[Merolu]

hmmm... maybe you could try adding a few seasoning that would be in sausage? garlic, onion, sage, pepper, fennel, parsley, cayenne, thyme, they are all common to sausage recipes. I've never tried it, so maybe someone who has could chime in?

[Julesmom23girls]

Maybe a little liquid smoke, I would start w/ a really small amount like 1/2-1 tsp. See if it give the smoky flavor that ham or smoked sausage would have. Don't put too much because it will be over powering.

[stacim]

What did you use for seasoning? The sausage alone definitely won't be enough to flavor two bags of dry beans. When I make soups with dry beans, I typically use chicken or beef stock as my base. Onion, garlic, salt, pepper are always in our soups, and then whatever else you like (parsley, marjoram, cayenne, lemon pepper).

[wiseolegoat1]

Most smoked meats are very salty. Great when used to cook slowly with dried beans....as these will need a lot of salt...or taste very bland!

I suspect your ground sausage did not have enough salt, and that the meat to beans ratio was off...not enough meat to flavor.
You could try to add buillion cubes to taste....these will have more salt and seasoning, as well as meat flavoring, and should help a great deal!
I try to cook with low salt, and dried beans just amazed me with how much salt they REQIRED to taste half decent.

I have also cooked up a batch of bacon, crumbled it and added it and a bit of the fat from the pan to cooked plain beans...and it turned out pretty tastey. The bacon would likely compliment the sausage flavors in your soup. An onion and some diced carrot and celery would add flavor to your soup as well.
Good luck, and hope you save the soup!
Wiseolegoat1

[mom2fussy]

I second the liquid smoke suggestion. That'll make a big difference. Also try adding canned diced tomato or tomato sauce (if you haven't already), then simmering it for a while. More garlic, onion, salt, etc. would be very good too.

[ewebabymama]

I make my beans by adding the following

chicken broth
garlic
onion
chili powder (not a lot but this definitely adds some smokiness and is very yummy)
salt
pepper
ketchup
steak sauce (this is my secret ingredient. it makes the beans SOOOO good!)

[Paulette]

If you didn't season the beans at all, that could be your culprit. They will suck up any seasoning. Do you have a ham bone? Also, fresh herbs will help greatly.

[TwinKristi]

Yeah, you definatly have to season it. I use chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cayenne... whatever I have in there!
ETA: I also add a can of diced tomatoes and you can get those w/ garlic and onions or chilies.

[mary.margaret]

Thanks for all these awesome tips!!!!!

I ended up throwing away the leftovers because we were sick this week and I didn't have what it seemed like I needed in the house to fix it up so it was tasty.

BUT I was thrown off entirely from making bean soup before, and now with all these ideas I am willing to try it again.

Beans are such a yummy, inexpensive, nutritious meal - I just wanna love them like I love my split pea soup!

Thanks again,
MM