“Bean There, Ate That” Soup
Ahhhh, beans. The musical fruit. We all know how the saying goes. And while it’s true – these tiny fibre packed bitches maybe also be tiny toots bombs, you cannot argue the fact that they are delicious. Which is why I am sharing this fucking incredible soup recipe with you. You deserve good things in your life. I want that for you. And that includes healthy bowel movements. Ya, I care about you that much.
When I first made this soup I bought myself a pre-mixed pack of dried beans at a local grocery store. The title said 11 bean soup mix but they are dirty liars because they included legumes in there as well. As if we wouldn’t know the difference! But I digress. I took the bag o’ beans and created a soup so spectacular that I needed to share it. “But Stacey, I don’t shop where you shop! I don’t have an 11 bean (debatable title) soup mix at my fingertips. What am I supposed to do??”
Friend, you should know by now that I would never share something with you that you couldn’t make yourself, you should know me better than that! I thought of this very problem and so I popped over to the local bulk barn and created my own 11 bean mix. Although, this mix only contains 9 because I omitted some of the beans in the original mix that I felt made it a bit too chalky tasting. I’m looking at you, lima beans. I purchased the following beans then mixed ½ cup of each in a big-ass mason jar where they will keep for literally months. Added bonus – dried beans are super cheap to buy and that is always fabulous.
BEANS/LEGUMES I USED
· Dark Red Kidney Beans
· Romano Beans
· Red Lentils
· Green Lentils
· Yellow Split Peas
· Green Split Peas
· Pinto Beans
· Navy Beans
· Brown Lentils
This is a lazy Sunday soup meaning that it needs to simmer on the stove all day while you quietly read a book, wrapped in a cozy blanket in your favourite chair. Or if you’re like me, it simmers on the stove while you do 256 loads of laundry and break up children fighting. Equally relaxing. You cannot rush this soup so don’t try to. Low and slow baby, just like my 2003 dance moves.
“Bean There, Ate That” Soup
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours minimum
Serving Size: 4-6
What’s In It
1 cup of dried bean/legume mixture above or 1 cup of store-bought bean mixture
8 cups of vegetable stock
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 small carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 dried bay leaf
2 tbsp of olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
How to Make It
First, get out a fine mesh strainer and rinse your dried beans in cold water to remove any grossness. It has to be fine mesh or all the tiny lentils will slip slide away down your drain. Once rinsed, set them aside.
In a medium pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat and sauté the onion, carrots and celery until soft and slightly browned and caramelized, stirring every so often so they don’t stick. You want to really develop the flavour on these bitches because it will be worth it. It should take about 10-15 minutes.
Now add in your minced garlic and cook that for 2-3 minutes until you can really smell it but it’s not brown.
Now everyone else is going to join the party. Pour in the stock and add the beans, thyme and bay leaf and give it a good stir. Leave it on medium heat until it starts to low boil then turn it down to a low simmer. That’s where it’s going to sit all day. Make sure to stir this every time you walk by the kitchen, or better yet – put one of your older kids in charge of this task. The beans will naturally sink to the bottom and stick there so you want to scrap as you stir.
This is going to cook for at least 3 hours but I find the longer the better. If you find that too much water has evaporated and its getter a bit thick, add a bit back in and continue to cook. It’s done when all of the beans are soft and tender and the split peas and lentils have turned into a kind of mush. A fucking scrumptious mush.
Serve this with a side of crusty bread for the ultimate comfort meal.
