This football season has been bizarre, to say the least.
It’s usually a big fanfare around here when August turns to September and football teams start to kick off. This year we weren’t sure if that was even going to happen, much less if it should happen.
We’ve covered game cancellations, COVID-19 test results of players and coaches, and a shortened season for college football. College football is the pinnacle of success here in Oklahoma, so it gets covered extensively in our newscasts.
I usually rejoice when football season starts because it’s so exciting. I love making football foods in the fall, following the drama of the playoffs, and snacking while watching bowl games late in the year. I haven’t done much of that at all this year, but I did have time to make an NFL-inspired soup.
This recipe comes from a 1977 cookbook from Burkburnett, Texas. Before the holidays, I spent a lot of time cooking recipes from this hidden gem. I found an insane KFC-inspired chicken recipe, a wild lentil-and-sausage soup that called for three cans of tomato soup, and a ham and leek soup I lived off of when I had COVID.
The tiny, spiral-bound church cookbook contains so many good recipes I was shocked. It’s not falling apart (the front cover is completely off the spiral) but I plan to use the book many, many more times.
I’m not sure why this soup is named after the Dallas Cowboys. It’s really good though, so maybe because it’s good it was named after the team? The Cowboys were a great team many decades ago— not so much anymore.
However the soup got its namesake doesn’t disregard the fact that is absolutely a winner in my book. It has everything you want in a soup; it’s hearty and fiflling on cold winter nights. I tweaked it a little bit for my taste, and I think that made it better.
Enjoy!
Dallas Cowboys Soup
A hearty bean soup with ham and bacon.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Great Northern or Navy beans, dried
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 6 strips bacon, diced
- 1 lb. ham, cubed
- 1 tsp. tabasco
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. seasoning salt
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 carrots, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
Directions
- Soak beans overnight. Rinse.
- In a large soup pot, cook bacon until crispy. Remove from pot to a paper-towel lined plate. Stir in onion, carrots and bell pepper. Saute until onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add all other ingredients, including beans and cooked bacon, to the pot. Simmer on medium-low heat for 2-3 hours or until beans are tender. Add more water or broth if needed.
leencuisine.com 