MY PLANTAIN, BEEF and BEANS SOUP to WARMTH YOUR BONES

Soup is always welcome in my home regardless of the weather. It is something that makes you feel warm and cozy time and time again. This soup was made with beef and Goya frozen Tostones; however, I can make soup with any protein and veggies I have available at the time and they always turn out fine. So, welcome soups to your home and complement them with crostini’s, or toasted garlic bread, anything will go just great!
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 45 to an hour (only because you must soften the beans)
Approximate Cost: $10.19 or $3.40 per serving
Difficulty Level:     X    Easy ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 3
 
Ingredients
1 cup of beef for stew cut in cubes (2.75)
1 (1.5 lb.) bag of dry pinto beans (softened) (.99)
3 stalks of chopped celery (.30)
1 large chopped onion (.40)
8 cloves of garlic (.40)
3 cups of organic beef broth ($1.90)
2 tbsp. olive oil (.65)
1 tbsp. Adobo (.30)
2 cubes of sofrito/Molido (if you don’t have it, use ¼ c. chop cilantro, peppers onion) (.50)
3 large Goya frozen Tostones, each cut in ½ (.75)
1 Avocado ($1.25)
 
Directions
Hand sort and rinse the dry beans, add water to cover them at least 3” over, bring them to a boil for about 5 minutes, turn the heat off, cover and let them rest overnight.
Clean and season the beef with Adobo and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Refrigerate until use.
Chop onion, garlic, and celery. Refrigerate.
Next day, drain the beans water, rinse again and add fresh water and either follow the package directions to get them softer faster or use my pressure cooker method to get them ready in about 15 minutes. (You will be using about 2 to 3 cups of cooked softened beans; therefore, freeze any leftover beans for another meal.
Now you are ready to make the soup. In a medium size pot, (I used my pressure cooker,) sauté all the chopped veggies in 1 tbsp. of olive oil.
Add the beef and brown briefly.
Add the broth, Molido, Tostones and beans.
Cover the pressure cooker and cook in medium for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on your cooker.
When done, follow the manufacturer instructions to open and serve with a nice slice of avocado with salt and pepper to taste. Oh, and it won’t hurt if you top it with hot sauce!