This rustic, hearty soup sticks to your ribs in cool and cold weather. Try adding cooked pasta for a healthy version of Pasta e Fagioli, the classic Italian pasta and bean soup. This soup is even better the next day, and freezes very well.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups dried red beans
- 1 2-inch piece of kombu
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin seed
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dry
- Sea salt
Preparation:
Soak beans overnight in 6 cups water. Drain, replace with fresh water, and add kombu and bay leaf. Bring beans to a boil, skim off the foam, and then simmer until tender, about 1 hour.
Heat olive oil over medium flame. Cook vegetables until onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add cumin, and cook one minute more. Add vegetables, along with oregano, and two pinches of sea salt to beans.
Add more water if needed. Cover and cook another 30 minutes, or until beans are soft. With a vertical blender, pulse-blend the soup until it is about half pureed, so it is both creamy and chunky.
Serves 6
Copyright 2009 by Jen Hoy
