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
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!
Simply Splendid Food 
