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Spicy Lamb Meatballs

By 9 Comments

Serve these Spicy Lamb Meatballs at your next party. They’re baked in the oven for easy, no mess prep, and when used as the centerpiece of a crudites platter, they’re a perfect party treat. And a great partner for a Spanish red wine.

Want more easy party meatball recipes? We love this one for Honey Sriracha Meabtalls . They’ll WOW your crowd.

Spicy lamb meatballs on a crudite platter.

The Holiday season offers plenty of opportunities to create some festive appetizers. It is celebration season after all. And if you’re looking for lamb appetizer recipes, I hope you consider these meatballs.

These spicy lamb meatballs are easy to make and grabbing some crudite items at the supermarket will provide you with a colorful appetizer platter that you’ll be proud to present.

These spicy lamb meatballs carry just enough spicy heat to get your attention and with unlikely partners of thyme and Dijon, a savory meatball with jazzy flavor.

We found this recipe Wine Spectator Magazine, who showcased these lamb meatballs as Tapas Spanish Meatballs lamb appetizer.

Let’s take a look:

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients to make spicy lamb meatballs.
  • Ground Lamb
  • Full Fat Milk
  • Bread Crumbs: Fresh bread crumbs, Panko, or a mix of Italian Bread Crumbs and Panko.
  • One Egg
  • Seasonings: New Mexico Red Chile Powder (or Cayenne) Dijon Mustard, Garlic Powder, Dried Thyme.

Substitution idea: Substitute red chile powder with spicy smoked paprika for a more Mediterranean feel.

Step by Step Instructions, How To Make Lamb Meatballs

Ingredients to make lamb meatballs in a large clear bowl.
Mixture of ground lamb and ingredients to make spicy lamb meatballs.
  • Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
  • Step 2: Using clean hands, gently mix the ingredients until well blended.
Spicy lamb meatballs on a sheet pan ready to bake.
  • Step 3: Using the palms of your hands, shape the mixture into 1-inch balls, and place them on a greased baking sheet one inch apart. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Then bake about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Common Questions About Lamb Meatballs

How Long Do Lamb Meatballs Last?

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

How Do You Reheat Meatballs?

In a low-heat oven. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place meatballs on a baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake about 15 minutes or until warm. Remember, you only want to warm them, not cook them longer.

Can You Freeze Lamb Meatballs?

Absolutely yes. To keep them as individual meatballs, place them on a sheet pan and freeze them for about an hour. Them you can place them in a zip-loc style freezer bag. Unthaw them overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

What To Serve With Spicy Lamb Meatballs

  • You can make these spicy lamb meatballs any time of the year as a light dinner. Serve them with a tossed salad or a simple side dish like this recipe for Mixed Green Vegetables. Or serve them over Baked Rice.
  • If serving them as part of a Holiday celebration of party appetizers, consider building a crudite platter as shown above. Or make things easy and serve them alongside a platter of mixed fruit, (grapes are always easy), you can’t go wrong with Spicy Deviled Eggs.
  • Serve these meatballs with a dipping sauce such as Tzatziki Sauce.
Spicy Lamb Meatballs on a bed of arugula on a white serving platter.

Tips for Success:

  • Hands are always the best tool for mixing meatballs or meatloaf. Using a large spoon will crush everything together, creating a tighter mix, which can cause the mix to be dry and too dense in texture.
  • If you don’t want the present these as Spanish Tapas Meatballs, place the cooked meatballs on a bed of arugula that’s been tossed with lemon juice and olive oil.
  • If the meatball mixture is too soft and won’t hold a meatballs shape, add a sprinkle more of bread crumbs. If too dense add a teaspoon of milk. A good meatball texture should easily roll into a perfect little round ball.

More Meatball Recipes

And don’t miss my absolute favorite meatball recipe for Ground Pork Meatballs with Ginger Lime and Basil. It’s a wow. Or this pot-luck perfect recipe for BBQ Meatballs.

And if you’ve been curious about cooking with Bison, take a look at my Bison Meatballs in Chipotle Salsa Recipe.

I hope you give this lamb appetizer idea a try. And if you’re looking for more appetizer recipes, don’t miss my appetizer category. You’ll find lots of good ideas including the most popular on my site for Campechana, Mexican Shrimp Appetizer.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Spicy lamb meatballs on a crudite platter.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Spicy Lamb Meatballs Appetizer

A great lamb appetizer recipe for your next party. Great for a wine tasting party and goes well with a Spanish red wine.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Appetizer Recipes
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 30 meatballs
Calories: 43kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 1 teaspoon Cayenne or New Mexico Red Chile Powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Thyme dried
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
  • 1 Cup Panko bread crumbs
  • ¾ Cup Milk
  • 1 large Egg
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Use your hands to gently mix until ingredients are well blended.
  • Using the palms of your hands, shape the mixture into 1-inch balls. Place them on a greased baking sheet 1 inch apart. Or you can use parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the meatballs for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are no longer pink in the center. Remove, and serve immediately. Makes 30 meatballs.

Notes

Serve these meatballs with a dipping sauce such as Tzatziki Sauce.
Tips For Success
    • Hands are always the best tool for mixing meatballs or meatloaf. Using a large spoon will crush everything together, creating a tighter mix, which can cause the mix to be dry and too dense in texture.
    • If you don’t want the present these as Spanish Tapas Meatballs, place the cooked meatballs on a bed of arugula that’s been tossed with lemon juice and olive oil.
    • If the meatball mixture is too soft and won’t hold a meatballs shape, add a sprinkle more of bread crumbs. If too dense add a teaspoon of milk. A good meatball texture should easily roll into a perfect little round ball.

Nutrition

Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 43kcal | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 34mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Spicy Lamb Meatballs …It’s What’s for an Appetizer.

A Superior 15 Bean Soup In A Crock Pot

By 4 Comments

Learn what it takes to make a superior 15 bean soup in a crock pot, and more flavorful than any other recipes you’ve tried. Using a well crafted bean soup spices and seasoning mix and a ham bone will yield a smoky and complex flavor. All you need is a crusty bread for a great family meal.

A bowl of 15 bean soup served with bread and garnished with parsley.

Why This Recipe Works So Well In A Crock Pot

Usually we think of using a crock pot as a dump and go vessel for quick dinners. But if you take a little extra time to learn some easy tricks for creamy textured beans and flavorful vegetables, and using the best bean soup spices, you'll find that your slow cooker is also a great tool for building layers of flavor.

Making this 15 bean soup in a crock pot is a testament to that theory, a recipe your family will devour.

  • Comfort Food Satisfying: 15 Bean soup is hearty, without seeming heavy.
  • Budget Friendly: Simply stated, dried beans are very inexpensive
  • Healthy. Full of fiber, protein and low in calories, what’s not to love? When it comes to easy, cozy and inexpensive you can’t beat a pot of bean soup.
  • Large Batch: This recipe will feed a crowd. Great for family gatherings or meal-prep leftovers.
  • Hands Off: Making 15 bean soup in a crock pot is a hands off easy meal that will fill your house with an amazing comfort food aroma.
  • Pretty much a complete meal, all you need is some bread or a fresh green salad.

I don’t like to use the word “best” because it’s very subjective. But this Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup is our house specialty recipe and we rank it as extremely flavorful. I think you’ll agree, it’s the best. As I learned in Culinary School, always chose quality ingredients and take those extra steps to prepare them correctly.

Let’s take a look.

Table of contents

Ingredients You’ll Need

To start building this 15 bean soup in the crock pot, you’ll start with the beans, broth and ham.

Ingredients to make 15 bean soup.
  • Chicken Broth
  • A mix of dried beans. Preferably selected from the bulk section of your grocery store, or one bag of mix dried beans.
  • A meaty ham shank. Or left over ham bone with meat attached. If there’s not much meat left on the bone, add diced ham to make it meatier and to add ham flavor.
  • A dried chile pepper, Guajillo is a commonly found in supermarkets.
  • Bay Leaves.

Dried Bean Tips, Safety Tips For Kidney Beans

The reason I like to select dried beans from the bulk section is so I can keep Kidney Beans separate from other beans. Cannellini beans (white kidney beans) and Red Kidney Beans can be toxic when cooked in the crock pot. They contain toxic levels of lectin which can cause stomach and gut illness. To eliminate this threat, you need to boil these beans for 30 minutes before adding them to a crock pot meal like this soup. Slow Cookers simply don’t reach a high enough boiling temperature to remove these toxins. Either omit these beans, or buy canned beans and add them towards the end of cooking. Canned kidney beans have already been prepared correctly.

Cooking 15-bean-soup in a crockpot with ham shank and bay leaves.
  1. Step 1: Rinse beans thoroughly and soak them overnight with enough water to cover by one inch. Don’t fret, if you haven’t soaked them, go ahead and cook them knowing it will take a little longer for them to soften.
  2. Fish out any bad beans. The next morning, drain the beans and add the chicken broth. Place the ham hock on top of the beans and float in the bay leaves and the dried chile pepper. Cover and cook on low for 4 – 5 hours or until beans are starting to become tender.

For The Vegetables

Vegetables needed to make 15 bean soup in the crockpot.
  • Carrots, Celery, and Onion: Mirepoix is a classic flavor combination for any soup.
  • Potatoes, please choose a medium starch potato such as Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes. They’ll hold their shape better than a high starch russet potato.
  • Diced Tomatoes, canned tomatoes work well here. If you can find Red Gold Petite diced, the chunks are smaller and work very well in soups.
  • Green Beans, fresh and sliced. You can use canned beans, drained.
  • 15 Bean Soup Seasoning You’ll find this remarkably more flavorful than the seasoning packet that comes with packaged beans. Tip: I even use the seasoning for Chicken Noodle Soup.
  • Seasonings: Honey, Garlic and my secret ingredient Picapeppa Sauce. I hope you take the time to seek it out and purchase. You can substitute Worcestershire Sauce.
Cooking chopped vegetables in a large fry pan.
Adding vegetables to crockpot to make 15 bean soup.
  1. Step 3: When beans are starting to become tender, chop the vegetables and sautee them in a large sauce pan in neutral oil. Cook them over medium high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add chopped garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  2. Step 4: Add the vegetables, along with the 15 bean soup seasoning mix, honey, and Pickapeppa Sauce to the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for about 1 ½ hours, or until vegetables are tender. It’s ready to serve.

Tips For Success

  • Don’t skip rinsing the beans before starting this recipe. You may discover small bits of debris that needs to be removed.
  • Many believe that adding salt or acids like tomato or vinegar too early in the cooking process will prevent the beans from getting soft. This can be especially important if using older beans. Source: Rancho Gordo.
  • Store dried beans in a cool dark place in a glass jar or air-tight container with a lid. They will be good for about two years. After that, they are still edible, but the quality will have deteriorated.

What To Serve It With

  • Cheesy Cornbread is a natural to serve with any soup and especially with 15-bean soup. Take a look at this Fried Biscuit recipe for another bread option.
  • Soup and salad are also a great partnership. Consider this Baby Kale Salad. With apples and a honey cider vinaigrette, it’s perfect for Fall.
  • Dessert? Who can resist brownies. Check out our favorite brownie recipe, Orange Chile Brownies.

Gathering Dried Beans For Bean Soup

While 15 bean soup mixes can be found in bags at large supermarkets anywhere in America, most every bean in that packaged mix can be found in bulk sections and at a lower cost.

Bulk section to buy beans for Crockpot 15 Bean Soup.
  • Here’s where the fun begins. Head over to your local market, Whole Foods comes to mind, and pay a visit to their well-stocked bulk section.
  • Stroll the dried beans. Buy equal quantities of each and every dried bean you see.  Don't forget lentils and split peas. 
  • A good store will have some lovely calico beans, tiny red aduki, and reddish-orange lentils.  Just grab everything you see.
  • You’ll actually end up with more than 15 varieties for the 15 bean soup mix … all the more fun.
  • Purchasing mixed beans in bulk can mean that the beans are fresher than dried beans in sacks that you purchase at the supermarket. And you can separate out the kidney bean varieties that need special cooking attention and are not slow cooker friendly. (see tip above)
Mixed dried beans for 15 bean soup, crockpot recipe.

Dried Bean Storage

  • When you get home mix all the beans together fearlessly. Hopefully you've got at least ten varieties, sixteen or twenty even better. 
  • Make sure you have a large container with a tight-fitting lid that will hold the loot, preferably clear, so that you can admire the beans colors and shapes.
  • Always keep a container of mixed beans in your pantry. They’ll keep you warm and comfort food cozy all Winter long. This stash will last you all season … and beyond.

Storage, Freezing and Reheating

  • Refrigerator: Store 15-bean soup in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 days.
  • Can you freeze bean soup? Yes. This soup freezes very well for up to 3 months.
  • Reheat stovetop, or for individual servings, in a microwave safe bowl. Use the power setting feature and adjust it to 50% power. Reheat in 30 second increments, stirring, for a gentler reheating experience.

FAQ’s

What Are The Beans In 15-Bean Soup?

In traditional packaged 15-bean soup mixes, the beans varieties can vary by brand. Popular brands like Hurst Hambeens 15 bean mix, may swap one or two varieties due to availability, but the goal is to offer color, textures and sizes to optimize flavor. Common beans are: Great Northern beans,Navy beans, Pinto beans, Black beans, Kidney beans, Small red beans, Cranberry beans (Roman beans), Garbanzo beans (chickpeas), Lima beans (baby or large), Black-eyed peas, Green split peas, Yellow split peas, Lentils (usually green or brown), Mung beans, Pink beans.

Do I Have To Soak Beans Before Cooking?

I must admit, that I follow both the soak and no-soak method. If you’ve forgotten to soak the beans the night before, they’ll cook just fine. But soaking can shorten cooking time, improve texture and digestibility. And please remember, if kidney beans are involved follow the 30 minute boil rule before adding them.

Why Are The Beans Still Hard After Hours Of Cooking?

The causes could be very old beans, adding acid (tomatoes or lemon juice) at the beginning of cooking. The only solution is to cook the beans longer. Or unfortunately you may just have to start over with fresher beans.

Is This 15-Bean Soup Recipe Gluten Free?

Yes, everything about this recipe is gluten free. Even the soup seasoning mix contains no gluten.

I hope you give this Slow Cooker 15 bean soup recipe a try. A delicious treat to feed that hungry soup crowd!

15 bean soup in a black bowl served with bread.

More Bean Soup Recipes

I consider soup and stew recipes to be my speciality, so if you're looking for more recipes, don't miss my category for Soup Recipes . You'll find lot of recipes, including the most popular on my site for Anthony Bourdain's New Mexico Style Chili. And this quick and easy weeknight recipe for Black Bean and Ham Soup.

And if you like using your crockpot for comfort food recipes, take a look at this recipe for Beef Stew With Mushrooms. It’s a very popular recipe on my site and your family will flip over this one.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

A bowl of crock-pot 15 bean soup.
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

15 Bean Soup In A Crock Pot

Learn what it takes to make a 15 bean soup superior in flavor from other recipes you've tried. Using a well crafted bean soup seasoning mix and a ham bone will yield a smoky and complex flavor.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time7 hours
Total Time7 hours 30 minutes
Course: Soup, Stews and Chilis
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10
Calories: 283kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Dried beans mixed. Rinsed and misfits removed.
  • 8 cups Chicken Stock
  • 1 meaty Ham hock or ham bone with some meat attached
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1 Dried Chile Pepper Guajilla, or other
  • 2 Tablespoon Bean Soup Mix Soup Seasoning Mix Recipe
  • 2 Tablespoons Neutral oil canola or vegetable oil works well here.
  • 1 large Sweet onion chopped
  • 2 large Carrots peeled and chopped
  • 2 large Celery ribs chopped, plus add some leaves
  • 2 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes Chopped.
  • 4 ounces Green beans fresh, sliced
  • 3 cloves Garlic peeled and chopped
  • 3 Teaspoons Pickapeppa Sauce or Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Honey
  • 14.5 ounces Tomatoes canned, small chopped

Instructions

  • Measure 2 cups mixed beans. Rinse and cover with enough water to cover beans by a couple of inches. Let soak over night.
  • The next morning, drain water from beans and place them in the crockpot. Pour in chicken stock. Add ham hock and float in two bay leaves. Add the dried chile pepper. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or until beans are tender. The cooking time will depend on the freshness of the beans.
  • After four hours of cooking, heat oil in a large fry pan. Add chopped onions, carrot, celery, potatoes and green beans. Fry, cooking over medium high heat, stirring often for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. About 30 seconds.
  • Add the vegetable mixture, soup seasoning mix, Pickapeppa sauce and honey to the crockpot and cook until potatoes are tender. About one to 1 ½ hours.
  • Remove the ham hock, shred the meat and return the meat to the soup and stir well. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 30 minutes to an hour.

Notes

Riffs on Crockpot 15 Bean Soup:
Substitute diced chicken thighs for the ham, or even cooked and drained sausage. Breakfast sausage or andouille cajun sausage would work nicely. Or for a vegetarian version, just leave the meat out. The seasoning mix provides plenty of outstanding flavor.
Tips For Success:
  • Don’t fret, if you haven’t soaked the beans, go ahead and cook them, knowing it will take a little longer for them to soften.
  • Many believe that adding salt or acids like tomato or vinegar too early in the cooking process will prevent the beans from getting soft. This can be especially important if using older beans. Source: Rancho Gordo.
  • Store dried beans in a cool dark place in a glass jar or air-tight container with a lid. They will be good for about two years. After that, they are still edible, but the quality will have deteriorated.
  • If you’l like to thicken the soup, take a large fork and mash some of the cooked beans against the side of the pan. This mash will thicken the soup.
  • You can expect one cup of dried beans to yield about 3 cups of cooked beans.
  • Be careful with adding salt. A ham hock can be quite salty. Taste before salting.
  • 15-bean soup is even better the next day. 
Soup Seasoning Mix Recipe Link for 15-Bean Soup
Important Kidney Bean Safety
The reason I like to select dried beans from the bulk section is so I can keep Kidney Beans separate from other beans. Cannellini beans (white kidney beans) and Red Kidney Beans can be toxic when cooked in the crock pot. They contain toxic levels of lectin which can cause stomach and gut illness. To eliminate this threat, you need to boil these beans for 30 minutes before adding them to a crock pot meal like this soup. Slow Cookers simply don’t reach a high enough boiling temperature to remove these toxins. Either omit these beans, or buy canned beans and add them towards the end of cooking. Canned beans have already been prepared correctly.

Nutrition

Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 321mg | Potassium: 1073mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2839IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 4mg

15 Bean Soup In A Crock Pot … It’s Whats For Dinner

Homemade 15 Bean Soup Spices Mix

By 40 Comments

A lively mixture of herbs and spices, this mix for bean soup spices is your secret weapon for soup season. This little jar of magic will keep your family in soup heaven all Winter long. Perfect for your next pot of 15-bean soup.

If you prefer to make your own spice mixes like I do, check out my recipe for Southwest Spice Blend.

Spice mix for bean soup in a jar.

What You Can Expect From This 15 Bean Soup Seasoning Mix Recipe

This pantry mix is a staple in my kitchen. By making this mix of spices for bean soup, your next bowl of bean soup will be more flavorful, and with no preservatives, no salt, and no msg.

Haven’t we all received bean soup mixes for gifts?  You know the ones, a bag of dried beans accompanied by an herb soup seasoning mix and they’re usually cleverly packaged. 

Some in cute little bags, some in whisky looking jugs, some in Mason jars. A few of them are pretty decent with flavor, but a lot of them are pretty darn bland. I guarantee you won’t call this spice mix bland.

With very little effort you can prepare your own homemade dried bean soup seasoning mix that you can routinely use for 15-bean soup and beyond.

You’ll feel so smug with this secret weapon of bean soup spices stashed away in your pantry. Ready to season soups all Winter long.

The list of spices may seem excessive, but please take my word, it will make about any soup a more flavorful treat.

Dried Spices You’ll Need

Dried herbs and spices for bean soup.

In order to have a supply of spices for bean soup stored in your panty, you’ll need to use dried spices rather than fresh. The illustration above is the list of bean soup spices that, when mixed together, will give you a very flavorful bean soup seasoning mix.

Here are some substitution notes:

  • Chervil: Dried and fresh chervil can be hard to find. This spice mix calls for two tablespoons of dried chervil. If you can’t find it, substitute one tablespoon of dried tarragon.
  • Sage: Dried sage can come in dried leaf or a powdery form. Either will work well here.
  • Celery Seed: I don’t recommend substituting celery salt. Even though celery salt is made with celery seed, it also contains salt. Most bean soup recipes call for adding a ham hock, ham bone, or ham. Which in itself is a salty product. Stick with celery seed here.
  • Cayenne: A well stocked home pantry will include Cayenne powder. I almost always substitute New Mexico Red Chile Powder. The heat level is comparable.

How To Make It?

Just measure all of the spices into a glass container that will seal air-tight. Use a spoon to stir them together well, close the lid and place in the pantry. Voila! Done.

How To Use It: Gathering dried beans for a season of comfort food

Mixed dried beans for 15 bean soup, crockpot recipe.

Now that you have that supply of bean soup spices, you’ll need a container of mixed beans in your pantry to make my 15 Bean Soup,Crock Pot recipe. They’ll keep you warm and “comfort food cozy” all Winter long.

Let’s have some fun with this:

  • Head over to your local market that has a well stocked bulk food section. For me that would be my local Whole Foods.
  • Stroll the dried beans. Buy equal quantities of each and every dried bean you see.  Don't forget lentils and split peas.  A good store will have some lovely calico beans, tiny red aduki, and reddish-orange lentils. About a half cup of each bean will give you a good supply. Just grab everything you see.
  • You’ll actually end up with more than 15 varieties for the 15 bean soup mix … all the more fun.
  • When you get home mix all the beans together fearlessly. Hopefully you've got at least ten varieties, sixteen or twenty even better. 
  • Make sure you have a large container with a tight-fitting lid that will hold the loot, preferably clear, so that you can admire the beans colors and shapes every time you open the pantry door.
  • While you’re there, buy what you’ll need for the bean soup spices mix.

Store both the beans and the spice mix in the pantry in an airtight container. This stash will last you all season … and beyond.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is This 15-Bean Soup Seasoning Gluten Free?

Absolutely yes. With no fillers to thicken, this mix is naturally gluten free.

How Long Will This Seasoning Mix Last?

Stored in a cool dry place, it will stay fresh and flavorful for the Winter soup season, about 6 months. When the next year rolls around, make a new batch, if you have any left.

How Much Does This Recipe Make?

This soup season mix makes 1 ½ cups. Most recipes will call for 2 Tablespoons to season the soup. That will give you seasoning for 6 batches of bean soup.

Recipe for Bean Soup Spice Mix

Whether you’re making 15 bean soup, 16 bean soup, 17 bean soup or a single bean soup recipe, this blend of spices will make them all better.

Bean soup spices in a bowl.

And if you’re looking to make more homemade seasoning mixes, don’t miss my recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning. It’s amazing.

Use Your New Homemade Bean Soup Spices For These Recipes

  • Ham and Bean Soup Creamy Great Northern Beans, smoky salty chunks of ham, sweet corn bread and you've got a winning comfort food combination
  • Chicken Noodle Soup, There's nothing like a big bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup on a cold evening. And especially if that chicken noodle soup is done right. Learn which noodles to use, and how to get the best flavor out of that chicken.
  • 15-Bean Soup, Learn what it takes to make a 15 bean soup superior in flavor from other recipes you've tried.

What to serve with 15 bean soup? Homemade Buttermilk Cornbread of course.

I consider soups and stews to be my specialty. Don’t miss my Soup Category where you’ll find lots of comfort food recipes, including the most popular on my site for Anthony Bourdain’s Beef Chili.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Bean soup spices to make 15-bean soup.
Print Recipe
5 from 18 votes

15 Bean Soup Seasoning Mix, Herb and Spice Seasoning

An incredible mixture of herbs and spices, this recipe for bean soup spices is your secret weapon for soup season. This little jar of magic will keep your family in soup heaven all Winter long.
Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Soup, Stews and Chilis
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 47kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • ½ Cup dried parsley
  • ¼ Cup dried summer savory Plus 2 Tablespoons
  • ¼ Cup cumin seeds
  • 2 Tablespoons fennel seeds
  • 1 Tablespoon celery seeds
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons Caraway Seeds
  • 2 Tablespoons Dill Seeds
  • 2 Tablespoons Cracked Coriander Seeds
  • 2 Tablespoons Dried Sweet Basil
  • 2 Tablespoons Dried Chervil
  • 2 Tablespoon Dried Thyme
  • 1 Tablespoon Dried Sage
  • 1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
  • 1 Tablespoon Dried Rosemary
  • 1 Tablespoon Dried Lavender optional
  • 1 Tablespoon Dried Sweet Marjoram

Instructions

  • Mix all together and keep sealed in a Mason jar.

Notes

This soup seasoning mix makes 1 ½ cups or 24 tablespoons.  When using 2 tablespoons per recipe, you can make 12 batches of 15-bean soup. Enjoy.
Use two tablespoons of this spice mix for a big pot of soup that contains a pound of dried beans.
    • Chervil: Dried and fresh chervil can be hard to find. This spice mix calls for two tablespoons of dried chervil. If you can’t find it, substitute one tablespoon of dried tarragon.
    • Sage: Dried sage can come in dried leaf or a powdery form. Either will work well here.
    • Celery Seed: I don’t recommend substituting celery salt. Even though celery salt is made with celery seed, it also contains salt. Most bean soup recipes call for adding a ham hock, ham bone, or ham. Which in itself is a salty product. Stick with celery seed here.
    • Cayenne: A well stocked home pantry will include Cayenne powder. I almost always substitute New Mexico Red Chile Powder. The heat level is comparable.

Nutrition

Calories: 47kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 233mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 531IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 228mg | Iron: 6mg

15 Bean Soup Spices … It’s What’s for Comfort Food

Banana Coffee Cake With Cream Cheese Filling

By 50 Comments

Banana Coffee Cake is made with cinnamon, nutmeg, orange juice, bananas, pecans with a creamy swirl of cream cheese filling. Irresistible with flavor, an impressive recipe for entertaining at the Holidays … or any time of year.

Banana coffee cake on a plate with three slices on another plate.

This Banana Coffee Cake recipe is cross between a banana bread and cinnamon coffee cake. And becomes even more special with a luscious filling of cream cheese.

The end result is a dense coffee cake with very moist texture, thanks to those bananas.

A couple bunches of bananas had accumulated on the kitchen counter, and right on cue, several were reaching the “too ripe to eat” stage. This Banana Coffee Cake recipe to the rescue, a perfect way to use up over ripe bananas.

Serve this Creamy Banana Coffee Cake for dessert, for breakfast, for Holiday guest entertaining. It’s a recipe that everyone will love, and your coffee will thank you.

This recipe comes from one of our Junior League of Denver  cookbooks, Creme de Colorado. Our Junior League Cookbooks are coveted by those of us who live here in Colorado. The recipes are reliable and reflect our Colorado culture.

Ingredients

Aside from pantry baking staples, like all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder, and spices, you’ll need:

  • Orange Juice, bottled or fresh squeezed.
  • Four ripe bananas.
  • Pecans or walnuts.
  • Cream Cheese
  • Eggs
  • ½ cup unsalted butter preferred. Salted butter will work fine.

How To Get That Cream Cheese In The Middle

The cake is very special because hiding in the middle is layer of cream cheese that’s been whipped into bliss with sugar, eggs, a bit of flour and nutmeg. 

Here’s how it works:

Placing a layer of cream cheese filling in banana coffee cake batter.
Banana Coffee Cake Batter in a tube pan.
  • Spoon 1 ½ cups of the prepared batter into a buttered and floured tube pan. Then spoon in the cream cheese filling. Gently spreading it around with a spatula or the back of a spoon, so it’s somewhat even.
  • Pour in the remaining batter over the cream cheese filling. It’s ready to bake.
banana coffee cake with cream cheese filling.

Once baked that layer of cream cheese is simply irresistible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Freeze Banana Coffee Cake?

Yes! Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container. It will keep for up to two months.

Do You Need To Refrigerate Coffee Cake?

This coffee cake will be fine on the kitchen counter for up to three days. After that, refrigerate or freeze.

How Do You Ripen Bananas Quickly For Baking?

Don’t have time to wait? Place bananas on a baking sheet and place in a 300 degree oven. In 15 minutes those bananas will be soft and sweet. Or use a fork to pierce the bananas all over. The place in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add 15 second increments if they haven’t ripened enough.

Can You Make This Banana Coffee Cake In A Bundt Pan?

Absolutely yes. I simply don’t have one after we downsized and my kitchen space dwindled. A bundt pan will work beautifully for this recipe.

Tips For Success

  • Allow one hour for the butter and cream cheese to come to room temperature.
  • Don’t skip the process of greasing and flouring the pan. The coffee cake will release almost stress free. Once the pan is inverted, gently tap the bottom with the handle of a knife.
  • I don’t sift flour, but I do fluff the flour up by stirring it gently with a whisk. Instead of scooping the measuring cup into the flour, I use a spoon to gently place it into cup. This helps the flour to be light and fluffy, rather than packed down. The result is a lighter textured cake. Then use the whisk to whisk together the dry ingredients.
  • Let the cake cool completely before removing it from the pan.
Banana Coffee Cake on a decorative plate.

Recipe for Cream Cheese Banana Coffee Cake

This delightful combination of creamy, tangy cream cheese, sweet bananas, and a perfectly moist cake base is a true crowd-pleaser.

Next time you find yourself with overripe bananas, consider turning them into this delightful banana coffee cake. You won’t be disappointed.

With chopped pecans and typical coffee cake flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg, this is a moist and delicious cake that will have your neighbors ringing that doorbell. Don’t forget to have that coffee pot plugged in.

I hope you give this recipe a try, banana and coffee cake are a match made in heaven.

More desserts that go well with coffee

  • Churros Cheesecake Bars: With a Shortbread Crust, a layer of Cheesecake and a Cinnamon Sugar Topping, These Mexican Cheesecake Bars are fab and I mean f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s
  • Old Fashioned Banana Nut Bread. This is a good old fashioned banana bread recipe made with buttermilk. Easy quick bread that's dense, moist and full of banana flavor.
  • Old Fashioned Pineapple Cake Recipe. This Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is an old fashioned recipe that's super easy to make. It's secret to success is using crushed pineapple, not only for a tropical feel but for it's super moist texture. 
  • Cinnamon Pecan Peach Bread: A delicious blend of sweet and savory flavors, making it an ideal choice for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet afternoon snack.

And if you’re looking for more dessert recipes, don’t miss my Dessert Category. You’ll find lots of recipes to satisfy that sweet tooth, including the most popular recipe on my site for Cherry Delight Check it out.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Banana coffee cake on a plate with three slices on another plate.
Print Recipe
4.67 from 3 votes

Cream Cheese Banana Coffee Cake

Great coffee cake with a filling of creamed cream cheese
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 14
Calories: 398kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • For The Cream Cheese Filling
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 egg
  • For The Coffee Cake Batter
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3 tablespoons hot water
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 medium ripe bananas Mashed
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • For Glaze Topping
  • 1 tablespoon butter melted
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Set butter and cream cheese on counter to come to room temperature one hour before starting this recipe.
  • Lightly grease (I use butter) and flour a tube pan.
  • Combine cream cheese, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ½ teaspoon nutmeg in mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat until smooth. Add 1 egg and beat again. Use a spatula to scrape this mix into another bowl. (if using a stand mixer)
  • Add softened butter to the mixing bowl and cream, gradually adding 1 ½ cups sugar. Beat well. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each. Combine soda and hot water and add to creamed mixture, stirring until well blended.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, combine 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt, ½ teaspoon nutmeg and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Use a whisk to combine.
  • Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with orange juice while mixer is running.
  • Stir in vanilla, mashed bananas and pecans. Spoon 1 ½ cups of the banana batter into the tube pan. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over batter. Spoon remaining banana batter over cream cheese.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 50 – 55 minutes or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Move to a rack and let cool 1 hour before removing from pan.
  • To remove from the pan: Run a knife around the ended of the cake and around the inside tube. Invert the pan over a plate and using the handle of the knife gently tap the bottom of the pan to encourage the coffee cake to release.
  • One the cake has dropped onto the plate, place another plate on top, then turn the cake so it's right side up.
  • Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar or light brown sugar combined with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon.
  • Garnish with whole pecans or walnuts to finish.

Notes

Tips for Success: 
  • Allow one hour for the butter and cream cheese to come to room temperature.
  • Don’t skip the process of greasing and flouring the pan. The coffee cake will release almost stress free. Once the pan is inverted, gently tap the bottom with the handle of a knife.
  • I don’t sift flour, but I do fluff the flour up by stirring it gently with a whisk. Instead of scooping the measuring cup into the flour, I use a spoon to gently place it into cup. This helps the flour to be light and fluffy, rather than packed down. The result is a lighter textured cake.
  • Let the cake cool completely before removing it from the pan.

Nutrition

Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 234mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 513IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg

Cream Cheese Banana Coffee Cake …It’s what’s for Company.

Stove-top Porter Beer Bison Stew

By 30 Comments

A broth spiked with a porter ale, a beer whose flavors reminds one of a good quality strong coffee, serves as a rich flavor platform for a robust bowl of vegetable bison stew. 

Check out this award winning Bison Chili recipe. With black beans and lime crema, you’ll understand why it’s so popular. If you’re looking for more stew recipes, take a look at my Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Mushrooms. It gets rave reviews.

A bowl of bison stew made with porter beer.

A long simmer in a rich flavorful broth infused with fresh rosemary and garlic, bison top round sirloin steak partners with potatoes and chunky vegetables for this bison stew recipe. The result is a flat out savory rich flavored Winter stew.

The best stew recipes are “best” because they incorporate layers of flavor. And one way to easily add these layers, is to use beer, wine or even coffee. A good example is my recipe for Pumpkin Bread made with Pumpkin Ale.

For this bison stew recipe, I’m using a rich porter beer to enhance beef stock. And adding a tablespoon of Dijon mustard for a hint of pungency and tangy notes.

Plan ahead, this bison stew recipe requires two hours of simmer time, which is why the favors are so rich and robust. The stew is then thickened with a roux of flour and cornmeal for a thick and rich stew experience.

Bison is a healthier meat than beef, lower in fat, calories and cholesterol. It’s also richer in protein. Source: National Bison Association.

So if you’re looking for bison stew recipes, I hope you give this one a try. This recipe brings beef stew to a new rich and savory level.

Table of contents

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients to make bison stew.
  • Beef Stock
  • Porter Beer
  • Bison Sirloin Steak
  • Vegetable Oil
  • Vegetables: Onion, carrots, celery, potatoes
  • Seasonings: Bay leaves, garlic, rosemary, Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, Dijon mustard.
  • Thickener: Butter, flour, cornmeal

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Broth: This bison stew’s rich flavor benefits from a good beef stock. I would suggest no substitutions here. But if you have to, you can substitute vegetable broth, or chicken broth.
  • Beer: You can substitute a Stout Beer for the Porter Beer. The flavor will vary slightly however. If you don’t want to add beer at all, substitute equal amounts of Beef Stock.
  • Bison Steak: Substitute a bison chuck roast for the sirloin steak. Your local market may also sell pre-cut bison stew meat. You can also substitute a top round beef sirloin steak for the bison steak. But then it won’t be a Bison Stew.
  • Cornmeal: Substitute Masa Harina

Step by Step Instructions

Cooking onions for bison stew.
Cooking bison stew meat for bison stew.
  1. Step 1: In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until tender. About 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and rosemary and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. About 30 seconds. Remove to a 6 – 7 quart Dutch oven or soup pot.
  2. Step 2: Add the remaining oil to the skillet. Reheat to medium high and brown meat well on all sides. Work in two batches so the meat isn’t over crowded.
Cooking bison stew meat and onions for bison stew.
  1. Step 3: Add the seared bison meat and the onion mixture to a 6 – 7 quart Dutch oven.
  2. Step 4: Add the beef broth and beer. Bring to a low boil and let cook for two minutes. Cover the soup and let simmer on low for one hour.
Cooking bison stew stovetop in Dutch Oven.
Bison stew in a Dutch oven.
  1. Step 5: Add carrots, celery, potatoes, Dijon mustard and bay leaves to the soup pot. Simmer on low, uncovered for one more hour.
  2. Step 6: Add roux and simmer for 30 minutes, and it’s ready to serve.

Note: While Bison is the correct term, lots of people still use “buffalo”. So please feel free to call this a Buffalo Stew.

Common Questions About Bison Stew

What Is Porter Beer?

What makes a beer a “porter”? Porter is a dark style of beer originating in London in the 18th Century,  A well hopped beer made from brown or black malt. The name came about as a result of its popularity with street and river porters. The flavor of porter is that of coffee, mixed with a bite of dark berry.

Is This Bison Stew Gluten Free?

Substitute a gluten free beer for the Porter beer. And use cornmeal for the thickener, omitting the flour.

Tips for Success

  • Don't skip searing the stew meat. This is a crucial step in getting the most flavor out of this meal. Searing creates what is technically called Maillard reaction. Maillard reaction is the process where a crust is created. Simply stated, it's responsible for the complex flavors and aroma that makes bread taste toasty, and a grilled or seared burger taste charred. It's a technique that brings science to your cooking skills.
  • Purchase small Yukon Gold potatoes. Their skin is tender, so there’s no need to peel the potatoes and with they’re small size, they’re easy to cube.
  • This recipe is a good chance to practice your knife skills. Cutting the bison meat in uniform pieces, and the vegetables in even chunks will insure even cooking.
  • Add a tablespoon of Tomato Paste when you add the vegetables. An MVP ingredient in the kitchen, it’s concentrated almost meaty flavor adds another nuance of flavor to this Bison Stew.

What to Serve with Bison Stew

  • This thick rich Bison Stew will hold up if served over mashed potatoes. But the classic way to serve it is with some crusty rustic bread for dipping.

Storage

  • Make sure the stew is completely cooled before storing it. Transfer the stew to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the stew for up to three months.
  • To reheat from frozen, let the stew thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Re-heat in the microwave or in a saucepan stove-top.

Recipe for Bison Stew with Porter Ale

If you’ve been considering cooking with Bison meat, this is a great recipe to try. Stew is the ultimate cold weather comfort food and using Porter beer is a fun way to jazz up a classic recipe.

Aside from this bison stew recipe, this Bison Chili recipe is one of our favorite Winter comfort food recipes. More bison recipes to try:

If you enjoy cooking with bison, don’t miss my Bison Recipes category.

More Hearty Stew and Soup Recipes

Recommended: The quintessential beef stew, Jacques Pepin’s Red Wine Beef Stew is a very special recipe. This red wine beef stew creates a luscious sauce that you simply won’t believe.

And if you’re looking for more stew recipes, don’t miss my category for Soup Recipes. You’ll find lots of great recipes including the most popular on my site for Anthony Boudain’s New Mexico Style Chili.

Tip: Serve this bison stew with my Cornbread with Creamed Corn. A great pairing.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Bison stew served in a green bowl.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Stove-top Porter Beer Bison Stew

Made with an intense flavored Porter Beer, the end result of this beef stew is incredible
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 45 minutes
Course: Soup, Stews and Chilis
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 494kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 3 Tablespoons Vegetable oil divided
  • 1 large sweet onion chopped
  • ½ Tablespoon salt
  • ½ Tablespoon black pepper coarse grind
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 ½ pounds Bison Top Sirloin Steak cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 24 ounces Boulder Beer Planet Porter 2 bottles
  • 32 ounces beef stock 4 cups
  • 4 carrots peeled and sliced ½ inch thick
  • 2 cups celery sliced ½ inch thick
  • 6 – 8 small red potatoes washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Roux:
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1 Tablespoon cornmeal
  • 3 Tablespoon flour

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until tender. About 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and rosemary and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. About 30 seconds. Transfer these ingredients to a 6 – 7 quart soup pot or Dutch oven.
  • Add the remaining oil to the skillet. Reheat to medium high and brown meat well on all sides. Work in two batches so the meat isn't over crowded.
  • Remove meat from skillet and add to the soup pot along with the onions. Deglaze the skillet with ½ bottle (or can) of the Porter beer.
  • Pour the deglazed liquid from the skillet into the soup pot. Add the beef broth and the remaining beer. Bring to a low boil and let cook for two minutes. Cover the soup and let simmer on low for one hour.
  • Add carrots, celery, potatoes, Dijon mustard and bay leaf to the soup pot. Simmer on low, uncovered for one more hour.
  • Melt butter stove top and mix in cornmeal and flour to make a roux. Cook until roux is starting to turn golden. Add to stew and simmer for 30 more minutes.
  • Remove bay leaves and serve.

Notes

Tips For Success:
  • Don't skip searing the stew meat. This is a crucial step in getting the most flavor out of this meal. Searing creates what is technically called Maillard reaction. Maillard reaction is the process where a crust is created. Simply stated, it's responsible for the complex flavors and aroma that makes bread taste toasty, and a grilled or seared burger taste charred. It's a technique that brings science to your cooking skills.
  • Purchase small Yukon Gold potatoes. Their skin is tender, so there’s no need to peel the potatoes and with they’re small size, they’re easy to cube.
  • This recipe is a good chance to practice your knife skills. Cutting the bison meat in uniform pieces, and the vegetables in even chunks will insure even cooking.
  • Add a tablespoon of Tomato Paste when you add the vegetables. An MVP ingredient in the kitchen, it’s concentrated almost meaty flavor adds another nuance of flavor to this Bison Stew.

Nutrition

Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 823mg | Potassium: 2446mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 5417IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 5mg

Porter Beer Bison Stew with Potatoes …It’s What’s for Dinner.