Are you “pandemic” cooking? I stocked up on dried beans so I could make various recipes including a Cream of Bean Soup from the 1906 Berlin Cook Book. The recipe was contributed by Mrs. H. A. Germann.
Dried white beans would have been a staple for many households in the early 20th century. Whether grown in their gardens or purchased from a local store, they were a useful pantry ingredient. It does require some planning as they need to be soaked overnight. I put 1 cup of beans in a bowl last night and made sure they were well covered in water. It’s important to ensure they can soak up water as this will shorten cooking time later. The other ingredients are a carrot, an onion, baking soda, butter, flour, milk, and salt and pepper.
I’d planned to have the soup for lunch but ended up doing other things this morning so I started making the soup in the afternoon. I drained the water and rinsed the beans again before adding them to a deep saucepan. I added 1 quart (5 cups) of water and put them on the stove to start simmering while I prepared more ingredients. I chopped an onion and a carrot and added them to the pot. In checking the recipe I noticed it mentions adding soda but doesn’t give an amount. The Bean Soup recipe appearing above this one in the cook book is similar but uses double the ingredients so I decided to add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to the water. I covered the pot and left it to simmer for an hour.
The beans had softened in an hour but the time will vary depending on the size of beans and whether they have been stored for a long time. I’m not keen on milk based soups or pureed soups. I like a bit of texture in my soups so I decided to only put half the soup through a sieve. This is a time consuming process but produces a smooth textured soup.
Before I divided my soup in two portions I added the salt and pepper. The recipe seems to call for 2 tablespoons of each. I was anxious to get started on sieving and didn’t really think this through. That is a lot of salt and pepper for this quantity of soup!! I think there is a mistake in the recipe. It is likely 2 tablespoons of flour and perhaps 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper. It was too late to turn back. I divided the soup in half, and worked to get a smooth portion ready for the next step.
NOTE: This is for half the recipe.
I melted 2 tablespoons of butter in the saucepan and added 2 tablespoons of flour. The recipe mentions flour but like the soda doesn’t give an amount. However, typically a roux like this is made with equal amounts of fat and flour. Next I slowly mixed in a cup of milk. I left it to reach a boil and then added the smooth bean mixture. I stirred and brought it back to a boil before removing from the heat. It was time to taste … something I was dreading a bit.
Lenora Laurette Heller married Henry “Harry” Allen Germann in 1905. The newlywed Mrs. H. A. Germann shared seven recipes for the cookbook and her sister was also a contributer. Their father Herman was a hotel keeper while Lenora was a milliner (hat maker) before her marriage. Harry worked as a salesman in a dry goods store. In 1911 the couple lived on Park Avenue in Waterloo and had their first child Louise. Their second child wasn’t born until 1920 and by 1921 they lived at 38 Duke Street, in Kitchener. 
Knowing I’d added too much pepper and salt, I was surprised that the soup was okay. Yes it was peppery and salty but still edible. With the correct seasoning this would be a very comforting soup. It’s reasonably quick to make and doesn’t need too much fussing. It reminds me of Campbell’s Bean with Bacon Soup, one of the family favourites when I was growing up. Bacon or ham might be a nice modern addition to this soup along with some fresh herbs but even without those touches it is still a soup that can time travel to 2020. Just be sure to season to your taste and not follow that part of the recipe.
CREAM OF BEAN SOUP
Mrs. H. A. Germann
1 cup of beans, 2 cups milk, 1 quart water, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 4 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons salt and pepper [sic]. Wash beans and let stand over night, then drain and add 1 quart water, soda, onion and carrot chopped fine, simmer until soft, press through a sieve into a bowl, melt butter in a pan, add flour, stir until smooth, add milk and stir constantly until thickens and boils. Add beans and reheat it.
366dayswiththeberlincookbook 