In the true homesteading spirit, I made sure to harvest every last bean off of the plants when I pulled the string beans a few weeks ago. I had mainly left the plants in the garden that long in order to allow the beans to grow big enough to produce seed for next year’s garden. However, not all of the beans on the plant had become viable seed by the time frost hit and the plants had to be pulled, so I was able to set aside a giant bag to use as soup beans instead.
Whereas string beans are harvested when the pods are nearly flat and the beans inside have barely started growing, these soup beans were more like the size of kidney beans. At this point, the outer pot is too tough to eat, so I plucked the beans out and rinsed them all out in a colander. Next, I filled a big pot with salted water and brought it to a boil. Once boiling, I added the beans and cooked them for 20-30 minutes until they were softened but still holding their shape. I then drained them in a colander.
At this point, you’re ready to go with a whole array of recipes. Make a simple vinaigrette and use the beans as the base for a salad, mash them up with olive oil and garlic and make a tasty spread for sandwiches, or combine with veggies, tomato juice, and vegetable stock like we did for a tasty minestrone-style soup!
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