For an economical meal, beans and rice is about as good as you can get. Beans have good protein and I always load my bean pot with vegetables so there’s a good variety of nutrients in every bowl. A tasty meal that’s economical and nutritious.
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We like all sorts of dried beans and I make them often. Check out Country-style Ribs and Great Northern Beans , Baby Lima Beans and Ham , Alabama-style Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice, and Slow-cooker Navy Bean Soup. Of course, any self-respecting Southerner wouldn’t think of a New Year’s Day dinner without Blackeyed Peas.
Stewed Navy Beans are best served with rice. We prefer Basmati rice and it’s the only kind I buy.
Fresh carrot and celery sticks with Blue Cheese dressing makes a nice accompaniment. That’s even more vegetables to go along with this vegetable-laden dish.
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Stewed Navy Beans
yield: 6 to 8 servings
If using a cast iron pot or Dutch oven, be sure to use one that’s enamel coated. The acid in tomatoes wears the finish off uncoated cast iron.
1 pound dried navy beans
2 tablespoons bacon grease
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 medium sweet onions, peeled and diced
2 to 3 stalks of celery, diced
4 to 5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 ham bone (substitute 1/2 cup cooked ham)
6 cups water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 pound (approximately) chopped fresh tomatoes and juice. Note: if using canned tomatoes, use 1 (14.5) ounce can
Soak beans overnight or quick soak according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Add bacon grease to a large pot. Cook onions, carrots and celery in pan over medium heat for 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft and have reduced by half.
Add garlic and cook an additional 5 minutes.
Pour beans into pot. Add ham bone and snuggle it down in the beans.
Pour water over beans.
Stir in salt and pepper. Add bay leaf.
Cover and cook on medium low for one hour.
Add tomatoes and juice. Cover and cook an additional hour or until beans are tender.
Remove ham bone.
Remove one cup of the cooked beans and mash. Stir them back into the pot to thicken the bean mixture.
Serve over cooked Basmati rice.
Stewed Navy Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried navy beans
- 2 tablespoons bacon grease
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 medium sweet onions peeled and diced
- 2 to 3 stalks of celery diced
- 4 to 5 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 ham bone substitute 1/2 cup cooked ham
- 6 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound approximately chopped fresh tomatoes and juice. Note: if using canned tomatoes, use 1 (14.5) ounce can
- cooked Basmati rice
Instructions
- Soak beans overnight or quick soak according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Add bacon grease to a large pot. Cook onions, carrots and celery in pan over medium heat for 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft and have reduced by half.
- Add garlic and cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Pour beans into pot. Add ham bone and snuggle it down in the beans.
- Pour water over beans.
- Stir in salt and pepper. Add bay leaf.
- Cover and cook on medium low for one hour.
- Add tomatoes and juice. Cover and cook an additional hour or until beans are tender.
- Remove ham bone.
- Remove one cup of the cooked beans and mash. Stir them back into the pot to thicken the bean mixture.
- Serve over cooked Basmati rice.
pumpkin061 says
I love navy beans!
Jackie Garvin says
We do, too, Jill. In fact, we like most all dried beans.