Leading up to every home game, Chargers.com will highlight a recipe that's been tried and tested by Chargers players to give you an experience to eat like a Charger.
October is national Breast Cancer Awareness Month and for safety Jahleel Addae, the disease hits home. His mother, Jennifer, was diagnosed when Addae just entered the NFL.
"It was my rookie year and it came out of nowhere," Addae said. "A lot of thoughts just run through your head, especially never dealing with something like this before. When it happens to your mom; your rock, your heart and soul, it weighs on you."
Though Jennifer's battle was tough, she is a survivor and Addae has become an advocate for breast cancer awareness.
This week's recipe of Crucian Red Beans soup comes courtesy of Jennifer and it's one of her son's favorites. She hopes you'll enjoy it just as much as she and her family do.
Hear it from Jennifer:
"During my time of chemotherapy for breast cancer, Crucian Red Bean Soup was one of my favorite soups that I craved. This soup was very soothing and comforting during this difficult time in my life. It has the perfect blend of seasonings and is very flavorful. It was also one of my family's traditional meals and Jahleel always enjoyed it when I prepared the meal." – Jennifer Addae
Crucian Red Beans Soup
Soup Ingredients
1lb. meat (beef, chicken or turkey neck)
1lb. dried red kidney beans (soaked overnight & drained)
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
½ cup chopped celery
3 sprigs of fresh thyme (leaves only)
1lb. sweet potatoes, thickly sliced
1lb. Irish potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
Salt and pepper (season to taste)
Sugar (season to taste)
Boil red beans until soft then transfer to soup pot. Add onions, celery, garlic, thyme leaves and 12 cups of water, then bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer. Skim any foam at top of soup. Add meat and cook until it is tender (usually an hour). Add all potatoes and season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar. Continue to simmer until potatoes are done (about an hour) then add dumplings (see below).
Dumplings Ingredients
1 cup flour
½ cup finely ground cornmeal
1tsp. sugar
1tsp. salt and pepper
In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and pepper. Add 1/3 cup cold water slowly to the mix. Stir with fork until dough becomes stiff. Transfer dough to a slightly-floured flat surface and knead until smooth. Tear off parts of dough into 1" pieces then roll segments into shape of your choice. Add dumplings to the soup and simmer until tender and the soup thickens (about 30 minutes).
