Traditional Mennonite Green Bean Soup Recipes

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium heat, combine green beans, garlic, parsley, salt and water to cover and cook until beans are tender.
• Fry bacon until crisp, set aside. Add onion and flour to bacon grease, stirring until smooth and brown. Add some water from the beans, stirring slowly and constantly to prevent lumps.
• Cook to thicken a bit, then add it to the bean soup and bring to a boil. Stir crisp bacon, sour cream and vinegar.

Steps:

• For the ham starter: Trim meat off the bone. Place meat and bone in a pressure cooker and cover with water. Pressure cook for 45 minutes. Release pressure, then clean and chop meat and strain broth. This can be divided into 4 portions of starter. Freeze 3 of the portions for future use and set the remaining portion aside.
• For the glace: Put flour and salt in food processor. While it's running, stream in the eggs. Mix thoroughly. Put bench flour on a table, then dump dough out and knead to combine. Let rest 20 minutes. Flour table again and roll to about 1/4-inch thick, then cut into small squares with a pizza cutter. Make sure there's enough flour so the dumplings don't stick together. Rough them up in your hands to make them rustic looking. Put into a dry strainer and shake off excess flour.
• For the soup: Combine the reserved ham starter, ham base, green beans and their juice and potatoes in a pot. Add water to fill about three-quarters of the way. Bring it all to a boil. Add the glace directly to the pot and cook until they float.
• Combine the evaporated milk, sour cream and heavy cream in a separate bowl. Add some hot broth and whisk until completely smooth. Add the tempered cream mixture to the soup. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Let simmer together for 45 minutes.

Steps:

• In a large stock pot, add vegetables to broth and simmer until vegetables are well done, about an hour.
• Half an hour before serving, add finely shredded parsley and savory, which has been tied for easy removal. (I usually just throw a spice ball with this stuff in it along with the veggies and leave it in there for the full hour).
• Remove herbs and add 2 to 3 tablespoons sour cream. Combine and serve.
• Or, instead of adding sour cream, just serve with cream or milk at the table.

Steps:

• Combine first 5 ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.
• Reduce to a simmer.
• Press in garlic.
• Add beans.
• Simmer uncovered 10 minutes.
• Adjust seasonings.
• Beat egg well in a small bowl.
• Temper egg by ladling some hot broth into the bowl.
• Stir the soup while adding the egg to the simmering broth.
• Add pepper to taste.
• Top with croutons crostini if you choose.