I’m excited about a new bean soup that I made this week. I got the recipe from Jill Nussinow’s Veggie Queen newsletter. What I really like about it –besides that it is so fast to make – is that it is pureed. I eat a lot of beans, and it is nice to have a change in texture.
With Jill’s permission, I am printing her recipe. If you enjoy it, look for more recipes on her website and sign up for her newsletter while you are there: http://www.theveggiequeen.com/.
This soup is made from dry beans using a pressure cooker. I took one of Jill’s classes and got my pressure cooker from her, (she even has a DVD on pressure cooking), but if you don’t have a pressure cooker, just use the stovetop and longer cooking times.
Here is Jill’s recipe:
Italian Cannellini Bean Soup
Makes 8 1 cup servings
7 minutes high pressure, 10 minute natural pressure release
This soup tastes so fresh and looks like the colors in the Italian flag. If you want, you can use some olive oil to saute the onion and garlic but it’s not necessary.
2 cups Cannellini (Italian white kidney) or Great Northern beans, presoaked or quick soaked
Vegetable cooking spray
1 medium onion, diced to equal 1 cup
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Garlic
1 cup diced potatoes
6 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1-2 teaspoons fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups diced, peeled and seeded tomatoes
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped plus some sprigs for garnish
1 tablespoon lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. Spray the cooker with cooking spray. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
2. Add the beans, potatoes, broth, bay leaves and thyme. Lock on lid. Turn heat to high and bring to high pressure. Set timer for 7 minutes. Turn heat to low to maintain high pressure.
3. When the timer sounds, turn off heat and move pot to a cool spot on the stove. Let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
4. Carefully remove the lid, tilting it away from you. Remove the bay leaves. Using a hand blender, carefully mix the hot soup until it is mostly creamy, with a few whole beans left in for texture.
5. Return the pot to the burner and set the heat at medium. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, simmering and stirring occasionally until the tomatoes begin to soften.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil and lemon juice or vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle with the cheese and additional chopped basil.
I think this is a great base soup that can be adapted to the season. Jill’s addition of the tomatoes and basil at the last minute is especially good for late summer – fresh ripe tomatoes add a completely different character than hard out-of-season tomatoes.
I’d like to try it with other additions – corn and roasted chilis will be my first trial. I can also imagine it with slivers of bright green kale and some of the tomatoes I roasted this summer.
Try it and let me know what creative twists you add.
Find more nutrition information and my monthly newsletter on my website: http://healthyhabitscoach.com . Eat Sustainably!
