madbaker | (no subject)

This week's Resolution Recipe: "Pinto Bean and (a Whole!) Orange Soup."
"It's another trick you can't accomplish on the stovetop. The rind softens under pressure without turning bitter. In fact, it will almost melt and give the soup a spark of bright flavor."

1 lb dried pinto beans (I used King City Pinks)
6 cups vegetable broth (I used house-made chicken stock)
1 large red onion, chopped
2 large carrots, thinly sliced
no garlic (Ha! I used... more.)
1 small, thin-skinned orange (Valencia type), chopped with rind intact, seeds removed
3 Tbsp fresh oregano
2 Tbsp golden raisins (I used currants)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pepper

Soak the beans for 8-12 hours.
Drain the beans and place everything into the CultPot. Cook for 20 minutes on soup setting.

What worked: It was okay. The rind did in fact soften as promised without being bitter.
The optional suggestion of adding a bit of orange marmalade and cider vinegar (for more of a sweet and sour) helped it.

What didn't: "Indeed, this soup includes a whole orange. Chopped up, too." The authors apparently mistake the meaning of the word "whole" - since it is chopped up, the orange is the opposite of whole. "Entire" is the word they were looking for.

It wasn't that interesting. Having 1/4 lb diced ham would have helped.

Will I make it again? The wife liked it, so probably. With added ham.