On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 18:13:47 -0500, Damsel in dis Dress wrote:

> Neither Crash nor I have ever tried it, but we bought a bag of the dried
> beans with powdered ham stuff last night. You add canned tomatoes, chili
> powder, lemon juice, onions and garlic. Is this stuff good as-is, or
> should we be adding some other seasonings (I assume that a bay leaf is in
> order)? This is a 20-ounce bag. We'd better like this stuff!
>
> <sarcasm> I know, I know. How can I buy a whole bag of soup mix when I
> don't know whether or not I'll like it? </sarcasm> Thank you in advance,
> Sheryl, for your concern.
>
I've never tried a 15 bean "mix" with anything other than beans in it,
but I love it!! If you're worried about flavor, just remember to salt
your soup at the end. If it tastes bland, add a little more salt.

If you're still worried, start off by adding a can of chicken broth or
using a ham hock/bone... I'd just throw it in at the beginning and
fish out the bone at the end. I also think adding a small can of
stewed tomato is good (NO chili powder for me though - that's not a
flavor I want in soup), onion and garlic are a must, bay only if you
wish, lemon will change the flavor too, but not as much as chili
powder.

Here's what I think is absolutely necessary: onion, garlic and salt.
The rest is superfluous.



Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.