Navy Bean Summer 🌼 Soup

June 9, 2023July 1, 202321 Comments

I eat this soup hot, warm or cold. I add my greens at the end of the cooking time. My new plant based soup is my 🌼 Summer Bean Soup 🌼 .

Bean Soup Provides A Variety Of Healthy Benefits

Beans themselves are a great source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Some studies suggest that consuming beans can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, as well as regulate blood sugar levels. Additionally, soups are often hydrating. Finally, bean soups can be very satisfying, due to the protein and fiber, and are often low in calories, making them a great option for those watching their weight.

Navy Bean Summer Soup 🌼 Recipe

Servings: 8-10
Time: 35 mins
Difficulty: easy
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INGREDIENTS
1 pound dried navy beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped * or 2 medium onions
3 carrots, scrubbed and sliced into rounds
4 celery stalks, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp. fresh ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 bay leaves
10 cups vegetable broth
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley * herb mix may include cilantro and/or dill
6 cloves of minced garlic. (Set aside for a minimum of 7 minutes before adding to soup.)
Optional: Up to 1 cup chopped spinach (frozen or fresh)
Optional: 1 tbsp. Tomato paste or 1 large chopped tomato
Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
The Night Before: Place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with water up to 3 inches above the beans. Soak the dried beans overnight (up to 24 hours) to soften. Drain when ready to use.
* 1 * Place a large 6 quart pot over medium heat. Add the oil, onions, carrots, celery, and red bell pepper. Sauté for 3-5 minutes to soften. ( you may add any other greens here like green beans, asparagus or a green jalapeño chili pepper * to taste)
* 2 * Then add in the drained beans, thyme, ground cumin, crushed red pepper, bay leaves, and (homemade)vegetable broth. Stir in ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper.
* 3 * Bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 60-90 minutes, covered, until the beans are very soft. Uncover and stir occasionally, then place the lid back on top. I leave the soup until it tastes to your liking: usually a couple of hours ~for me. I start making the soup early. Ready for a late lunch or dinner.
* 4 * Once the beans are soft and silky, remove the bay leaves. Taste, then add salt and perhaps more pepper as needed. Stir in minced garlic and spinach. Heat for another 2-5 minutes to blend the flavors.
TIPS: Thaw out frozen spinach in the microwave as the soup is cooking to save time.
Garnish your soup with fresh green herbs. Garnishes makes the soup looks more appetizing to your guests (and to you). If the soup is too spicy, grate a lemon, squeeze out the juice of the lemon into your soup and toss in the used lemon. OR, add a sprinkle of cinnamon, a teaspoon of honey to tone down the spice.

PICTURES: (1) Bean soup + baby spinach leaves + rosemary sprig garnish (2)Bean soup with spinach + 1 tbsp. of tomato paste. (3)Buy organic dry beans that are no GMO and Gluten free.

I added more cooked beans after I made the soup. I had 4 carrots in my pantry. Not 3 carrots as the recipe dictates. They all went in. You can improvise this recipe to empty out your fridge. Soups are flexible that way.

When I have bought too many fresh vegetables it is time to make soup. I store my soup in large mason jars in the fridge or freezer. Mostly I give them to my neighbors. Driving to the lake tomorrow with my jar of soup! Right now, I have 1/2 jar of turkey chili in the fridge and a jar of home made tomato sauce. The chili is also going with me. If I were staying longer, the sauce would go too.

Provençal Summer Vegetable Soup

Add chopped zucchini, small pasta shells, chopped basal leaves, green beans and a large chopped tomato to make this summer soup creation. My family loves this version. (Also, you can use ‘white’ cannellini beans instead of navy beans).

Garlic must be added at the end of the soup to save its nutrients. If you add it early the flavour is still there but the nutrients are destroyed. A very thoughtful and knowledgeable garlic farmer brought this to my attention. Waiting 7 minutes before adding chopped garlic allows the sulphur compounds to oxidize, this is when Allicin is being formed again as garlic returns to its original fresh state. Soak the dry, navy beans for a minimum of 3 hours. Change the water frequently ~ discards the carbohydrates in the ‘soaking’ water. Carbs make your beans become the “magical fruit“. 🎶♪♫

SPINACH

Some mornings I have Eggs Florentine. I add greens wherever I can. Adding spinach to this soup makes it super healthy.

Spinach is a highly nutritious leafy green vegetable that has many health benefits. It is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as folate and iron. Spinach is also low in calories and contains antioxidants that help protect the body from damage caused by harmful molecules known as free radicals.

I no longer use canned beans as shown in this video (below). I have spent many years doing -just that. I have changed to a better plant based diet. I thought adding spinach was my own idea. Not so. (see video). I now add salt near the end of the recipe. Too early in your soup and it draws out the minerals, flavour and nutrients from all the vegetables in the pot. Always add salt at the end to get the best flavour from your veggies. I enjoy looking for improvements, changes and variations to my recipes. And, I still go to cooking classes to get new ideas!

Gourmet Soup-In-A-Jar

January 13, 2023February 29, 202428 Comments

Inspiration

I wanted a healthy home made soup for busy, lazy, opportunistic people who live for nutritional food. The Soup-In-A-Jar! was my answer. No more chopping vegetables and preparing all the ingredients for a great soup. No refrigeration needed. Pantry shelves of great gourmet soups includes sun dried tomatoes, Le Puy lentils and an array of great spices to warm your tummy!

Here are some of my favorite jar soups, I would like to share the recipes with you, along with a dozen mason jars.

🧄 My garlic soup was inspired by a successful garlic farmer–> 30 Garlic Clove Soup. I needed fresh grilled garlic for this masterpiece. How do I put this magic in a jar? Dry, dehydrated garlic was the answer. Slightly roast the garlic before dehydration is the key to Flavortown? Yes!!!

Jarred soup turned out to be delicious! Make at least one of my gourmet soup-in-a-jar!

My Favourites: SOUP-IN-A-JAR RECIPES

COCONUT CURRY DETOX SOUP

Servings: 6-10
Time: 55 mins
Difficulty: easy
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INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup orange lentils
2/3 cup red or French green (Puy) lentils
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or plain paprika)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon dried onions -minced
1 teaspoon dried garlic granules
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (1 tsp. – for a hot version)
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger (1 tsp. powdered ginger)
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ tsp grated nutmeg
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 small dried chile pepper
A dash of salt -added at the end of cooking
I tablespoon dried tomatoes (optional)
(have coconut milk and vegetable stock ready for the cooking process)
OPTIONAL: 1/2 cup black forbidden rice -adds a flare of colour to your layers. One dried hot pepper on top.
DIRECTIONS.
Add vegetable stock to a sauce pan, plus all remaining ingredients and one 14-ounce can of coconut milk. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard the chile pepper before serving. GARNISH: Cilantro or Fresh Mint. Season to taste. (This is the time to add salt). If you do not have coconut mil use ¼ cup Coconut (shredded). NOTE: You may add 1/4 cup of coconut powder to the jar instead of canned coconut milk in the cooking process

I ran out of wild rice that day and used brown rice instead of forbidden black rice. There is a difference. (Later I replaced it with black rice). Plastic bags kept the rice and spices from falling all over the different layers. Powdered spices go into the pot not on the sides of the jar. I like to purée half of the soup for a nice texture. This particular load of gold that looks like a striped Bengal tiger has dried tomatoes added ( used my air fryer).
Many people call this soup ~ VEGAN DETOX SOUP for the obvious, healthy reasons.
Le Puy lentils grown in volcanic soil in Le Puy, France, add a special flavour. Don’t miss out on it.
TIP: If you don’t want to use canned coconut milk, you can now buy coconut powder. Same exquisite flavour!

5 bean soup-in-a-jar

Servings: 10-12
Time: 2-3 hours
Difficulty: easy
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INGREDIENTS
1 quart (32 ounce) jar with lid
Printable label/gift tag (scroll down for the free printable!)
1 cup dried kidney beans
1 cup dried white beans
1 cup dried black beans
1 cup dried pinto beans
1 cup dried split peas
1 teaspoon dried onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dry mustard
1-2 teaspoons thyme
2 teaspoons Sea salt
1 bay leaf
1 CAN (14OZ) diced tomatoes (when ready to cook the soup)
ASSEMBLY
Layer 1/2 to ¾ cup pinto beans in jars; shake gently to level beans. Repeat with ¾ cup of peas, northern beans, black beans and red beans. Set jars aside. (You may need 2-3 jars.- depends on the size)
Combine pepper, paprika, dry mustard, dried onion powder, salt, garlic powder, oregano, rosemary and basil in a small bowl.
Place 3 T of spice mix in a snack-size ziploc bag. Add 2 bay leaves and 1 bouillon cube. Gently shake contents to one side of bag and close. Fold bag around spices and place in top of each jar.
Place lids on jars, sealing tightly. Tie with ribbon and attach printable gift tag with instructions..
DIRECTIONS
Remove spice packet
rinse bean and place in a pot with water 1 inch above the beans
Bring to a boil and boil for one minute
Remove from heat and soak the beans for one hour
Drain and rinse beans then add beans to the pot with spices, diced tomatoes and 6 cups of water
Bring to a boil then reduce heat this is when you add salt) and simmer until beans are tender (1 1/2 to 2 hours) and soup is thick
Refrigerator leftovers up to 5 days

Print LABELS “5 Bean Vegetarian Soup” (include instructions)This is a great gift for college students, family visits and the holiday season.

Download label -instructions HERE when gift giving!

Italian Barley Soup

This is for my Italian friends and barley soup lovers! ❤️

Servings: 8-12
Time: 30 mins
Difficulty: easy
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INGREDIENTS
1 cup pearled barley
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (dehydrated, not packed in oil)
1 tablespoon dried chopped onions
1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 veggie bouillon cube
DIRECTIONS
Remove wrapper from bouillon cube and add it, plus all remaining ingredients, plus four cups of water (omit the bouillon if using stock) and one 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the barley is tender, about 20 minutes. Serve topped with grated Parmesan. Season to taste.

<–Left Italian Barley Soup with sun dried tomatoes

BONUS: Split Pea Soup-In-A-Jar ~ Fast and Easy!

I grew up on split pea soup. Buying a huge bag of dry split peas can be daunting and dismal, staying on my shelf in the pantry a bit too long. A simply mason jar filled with measured dry split peas with spices already added is eye appealing! Life is now easier! That’s how it’s done!!!

Recipe

SPLIT PEA soup-in-a-jar!

Servings: 10-12
Time: 40 mins
Difficulty: easy
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INGREDIENTS
2 cups split green peas
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon dried chopped onions or onion powder
1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
1-2 tsp. thyme
1-2 bay leaf
1 chicken bouillon cube( unless you use stock instead of water – use Knorr)
DIRECTIONS
Remove wrapper from bouillon cube and add it, plus all remaining ingredients, plus four cups of water (or stock) to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the peas are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in one cup of chopped ham (optional) before serving. Season to taste.

Garnish: Fresh mint. chives, fresh peas, an asparagus stalk is a good addition. While cooking, pop in fresh or frozen broccoli. It pairs well with pea soup. A dollop of yogurt is refreshing and eye appealing.

Burn Belly Fat

Top seven foods to remove belly fat. #1 is BEANS. Try our 5 BEAN SOUP IN-A-JAR. More belly fat burning vegetables: click this link –> Burn belly fat. Dehydrated fruits like blueberries and apricots is another healthy soup. Make fruit soup. –> Finland’s blueberry soup. (This recipe -No need to add sugar. Mom never did.) Finland’s blueberry soup retails $30-40 online (for a 220 gm. pouch). Make your own! (use wild blueberries ONLY not canned). I grew up eating this soup. Hot or cold! Yum!

A WARM HUG

Layer all ingredients in a clean, glass (pint size) jar in a colorful order. Bay leaf or whole peppers on the top layer. Tightly close the lid, add a tag, and place on the shelf for up to 12 months.. Friends, college students and just about everyone will be beaming when you gift your dry soup to them. Hot soup on a cold, winter day is like a warm hug!

How To Dehydrate Vegetables

– An Addition To Your Dried Soup-in-a-jar Recipes

Dried veggies is a brilliant addition to your soup. See Link–> Best Veggies To Dehydrate Fresh herbs can easily be dried. Some vegetables, including eggplant, squash, and green beans, should be blanched before drying.
–> Dehydrate carrots : Preheat your oven to 170 degrees F, or the lowest temperature setting. On your baking sheets, lined with parchment paper, arrange your prepared produce. Separate the items so they don’t touch. Then, transfer the baking sheets to the oven to let the produce dry, flipping the pieces occasionally throughout the process. Check periodically for doneness. Most dried veggies required soaking the veggies for 15 minutes in hot water before adding to the soup. (You can add this ‘soaking’ water fight in your soup).

Dehydrated Vegetables ~Healthy Additions

EXPERIMENT

IF YOU WANT A TEX-MEX SOUP (add to the 5 bean soup) Add 1–> 4 ounce can Green chilli. 1/2 tsp. cumin and 1 1/2 tsp. chilli powder, a dash of hot chilli flakes. If you have fresh bell pepper around add that to the cooking of the beans. For the pea soup I always add thyme – ( my own recipe ) when I made fresh soup. No difference with jarred soup.

There is even a 15 bean soup. The possibilities are endless.

With higher food prices, we need to support sustainable gastronomy. The MICHELIN “Green”star is a welcomed new addition. This green “star” is awarded to restaurants that support sustainable gastronomy .“ Sustainable gastronomy means cuisine that takes into account where the ingredients are from, how the food is grown and how it gets to our markets and eventually onto our plates.”. “It is about choosing food that is both healthy to the environment and our bodies, a crucial aspect of sustainable gastronomy,” says Dr. Adenike Akinsemolu.

Navy Bean Soup -Unforgettable!

March 10, 2017May 28, 202152 Comments

THE MEMORABLE BEAN!
BEANS are the most undervalued food item. Although the bean is a complex carb. like bread and starches, it feels right at home in the veggie group and holds its own in the protein group. The miraculous bean has little or no fat and is cholesterol-free. In fact the bean actually lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels in your body. Garlic, rosemary and thyme gives this soup that unmistakable ~unforgettable ~ flavour!

Café de La Paix, Toronto,ON

The first time I had navy bean soup was at the Colonnade on Bloor Street in Toronto. I was a teenager and I took the subway to the Cumberland Street stop and headed off to the Colonnade. After window shopping and buying a retro 20’s hat with a matching long silk scarf that morning, it was time for lunch at my oasis. I was relieved to get off my feet and settled in to enjoy my bean soup. Good times. The hat shop is gone along with the quaint cafe. But, the memories remain. I am sharing with you my most favorite, unforgettable memories of a sumptuous soup. Today, we celebrate the glorious bean!

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NAVY BEAN SOUP Unforgettable

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. Navy beans, dry
1 Onion, Large
1 Red Pepper
5 Stalks Celery
5 Carrots
3 Cloves Garlic
4 tbsp Olive oil (or Avocado oil)
5 cups home-made chicken stock* (or vegetable stock)
2 cups of water
1 tsp Rosemary, dried ~ or ~
(1 Rosemary sprig ( 6-7 inches ), large fresh sprig)
1/2 tsp Thyme, dried or 1 tsp fresh Thyme
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 Tsp Pepper (fresh ground)
1½ Tsp Fresh Ground Salt (Kosher or sea salt)

Meat Lovers
Optional – add diced bacon or cooked sausage rounds during or after the cooking process for that meaty flavour.

Organic Rosemary, Garlic and Thyme

* the ratio of stock and water needs to add up to 7 cups. If you don’t have enough stock add more water. Your stock may be very concentrated and rich and you may need to adjust the ratio. Use your good judgement.
Substitution: If you don’t want to use carrots and celery replace them with 4 cups of sliced yellow onions about 3 more onions. It now becomes a Tuscany navy bean soup.
Not enough carrots? If you only have 2 carrots in the frig. add one onion in place of the 3 additional required carrots. The same applies to the celery.

Soaking Navy Beans. The water collects carbohydrates from the beans.

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak the navy beans for 3 hours. Change the water frequently ~ discards the carbohydrates in the ‘soaking’ water. Carbs make your beans become the “magical fruit”.)
Mince the garlic, dice the onion(s), chop the celery, pepper and carrots.
Sauté the onions, celery, and carrots in olive oil in the pot (dutch oven). After the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes), add the garlic and red pepper and sauté another minute or two.
Add the rinsed navy beans, stock, water, smoked paprika, bay leaf, fresh ground pepper and herbs to the pot.
Bring to a boil (boil for 10 minutes while stirring) then turn down to simmer. Total cooking time 90 minutes.
Taste test to check if the beans are thoroughly cooked. Add salt. Taste again to see if you need more salt. We left the salt to the end because salt makes the beans hard.

Serves 6-8 (good for storing in glass jars & freezing)

ALTERNATE METHODS OF COOKING
For the following two methods, saute the vegetables in a fry pan with olive oil first before adding to the crock pot or pressure cooker.
SLOW COOKER METHOD: Combine all of the above ingredients into the slow cooker and stir. Set to cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8 hours.
PRESSURE COOKER: Beans are a perfect match for pressure cooking. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe and cook 30 minutes at 15 pounds pressure. Use instructions included with your p.c. model. One of my sisters is always using a pressure cooker. (She uses 2 at a time) With her engineer-like mind – it’s a given. Less work and a most efficient method. Freezer friendly for another day! Their freezer is full of goodies (and don’t last long in the freezer either). Don’t freeze in plastic or freezer bags–use glass jars– and leave a gap of one inch at the top so the jars wont crack.
I have my mason jars ready for this one to enjoy again and again. Make it once serve it thrice ( 3 times ) is my motto!!! Give a jar to a friend adds happiness to their day. We are giving a whole new meaning to jar heads! ◔‿◔ ( aha!)
FOOD TIP: Common mistakes are boiling or simmering the soup too long or too high. While simmering you should not see any bubbling at all. If you can not obtain a very low simmer then add 1/2 to 1 additional cup of water/stock. You may want to turn off the heat for 2 minutes after the 10 minutes of boil time. Gas stoves are a favorite with chefs because the heat goes right down quickly when you reduce the flames. The best choice is a pressure cooker. If you have never used one I recommend it. It seals all the moisture inside the P.C.

The Magical Fruit!

THE HEALTH SMART BEAN
(1) Heart healthy 💖
(2) Nutrients: antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals
(3) Economy: Beans may be the least expensive source of protein
(4) SLOW to digest: keeps you feeling full longer and aids in weight loss
(5) FIBER: 5 to 8 grams of fiber in 3 ounces (100 grams)…prevents constipation.
(6) Reduce cancer risk: 3 cups of beans per week.
(7) Blood sugar balance: Beans digest slowly which helps keep the blood sugar balanced. At the same time reduces fatigue and irritability.
(8) PROTEIN: About 1/2 cup of beans provides 7 grams of protein. The same amount of protein as in 1 ounce of chicken, meat or fish.
BONUS: Beans are inexpensive. Stock up!

BEAN TIPS beans-reduce-gas

THE NEW SUPER FOOD
Beans are on the list of super foods. It does not get a lot of air time. More people are discovering that the lowly, often neglected bean is not only low in cost, it is high in health benefits. Protein: 1 oz chicken=1/2 cup beans.
DID YOU KNOW? Garbanzo beans (chick peas) are the highest in protein of all the beans. It contains Potassium, K and very high in folate. And — is over the scale in energy! —

HOW DID NAVY BEANS GET THEIR NAME?
With a long shelf life, navy beans became a staple on U.S. Navy vessels beginning in the mid-1800s; earning them their name that has survived the test of time. The navy bean is the same type of bean you find in tins of baked beans.