every time i make my bean soup here in hawaii, i get a little sad.  i want to be back in indiana in the fall, where the air is crisp and cold, and where football starts at 1pm instead of before touchdown jesus wipes the crust out of his eyes.but, we do what we can, with what we have, where we are.  i am acclimated (on most days) to this tropical climate, yet i never really crave meals like this one with it being so warm outside AND inside.  so when i want to eat this stuff, i close up the windows, crank the a/c, open a vein for the electric company, and dust off my slowcooker (or crockpot, if that’s how you get down).

note:  this recipe is HIGHLY REVERED, per the byline of lila’s apron.  but aren’t they all, guys.  aren’t they all…

kiddo alert:  if your kids like bean soup, WELL ISN’T THAT SPECIAL.  this would be  kid-friendly with about 1 tsp of creole seasoning as opposed to 3.  i made ours spicy because i knew lila wasn’t eating any of it, anyway.

get it:

• 8 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1 can butter beans
• 1 lb bag dried beans (ANY kind will work, mixed is good.  i used white ones.  i think they were navy or great northern.
• 1 lb polska kielbasa or your favorite type of link sausage (slice into thin rounds, and then halve or quarter the rounds)
• 2-3 smoked pork hocks (or turkey hocks, or 6 slices of chopped bacon in a pinch)
• small head of chopped swiss chard (you could sub any leafy green here.  i only had a couple of leaves of chard left, so i added some bokchoy along w/)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-3 cups large-chopped baby carrots (about 2-3 pieces from each carrot is a nice chop)
• 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 tsp creole seasoning
• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp freshly ground pepper

make it: (i normally dread typing out this section, so this will be a pleasure!)

1. soak beans overnight in water that comes up to 2 inches past the level of beans
2. in the a.m., rinse your beans and dump them into the crockpot
3. throw everything else into the slowcooker EXCEPT for the chard, set on low, leave it alone all day until suppertime, or for at least 6 hrs.  about 15-20 min before serving, stir in your swiss chard .
4. eat, fart, and repeat