Recipe: Jeanette's Bean and Knoephla Soup

Jeanette's Bean and Knoephla Soup

1 pound (2 cups) pinto or great northern dry beans
10 cups cold water
1 teaspoon salt
Leftover ham broth and pieces of ham OR 2 ham hocks and a slice of ham, diced
10 cups cold water
1 small onion
Nickel-sized clove of garlic
1 stalk of celery
1 large carrot
1/8 teaspoon dill weed
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (14 or 16-ounce) can tomatoes
Knoephla

In a 4-quart kettle, add salt to 10 cups cold water and heat to boiling. Sort dry beans into a strainer and rinse with cold water. Add beans to water and boil for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 4-16 hours. Drain and rinse both beans and pan, discard soak water.

Cover beans with 10 cups fresh, cold water. Add ham and broth or hocks. Chop garlic, onion, celery and carrot in a processor or by hand. Add chopped vegetables to beans and ham. Add dill and pepper, stir. Cover and simmer one hour, until beans are tender.

If hocks or bones were used, remove from soup. Remove meat, cut up and return to soup. Discard bones, skin and fat.

Add tomatoes and stir. Make knoephla and add to simmering soup. Stir soup while adding knoephla to prevent them from sticking together. Cover and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Knoephla will float at first, then sink down into the soup as they cook.

Knoephla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup water
1 egg

Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl.

Mix egg and water in a measuring cup. Pour liquid into dry ingredients and mix with spoon. Spread 1/4 cup flour on the counter and knead dough until smooth.

Break dough into six or eight pieces. Roll between hands into long, thin pieces (smaller than your little finger). Use small amount of flour to prevent dough from sticking to hands and counter. Cut with a scissor in small (approx. 1/2-inch) pieces.

YIELD: 3 quarts soup, 8 (1 1/2 cup) servings
Source: Northarvest Bean Growers Association