Beans and Greens Soup
By Mary McDougall
This soup is quick to put together with staples from your pantry and refrigerator. It can be varied easily according to what you have on hand. See hints below for some suggestions. Since we tend to like our foods spicy, I usually serve this with hot pepper sauce to sprinkle over the top. And of course a hearty loaf of bread to dunk in the broth.
Serves: 6
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Ingredients
Directions
1 Place the onion, celery and carrot in a large soup pot with 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, until vegetables soften slightly. Stir in the garlic and soy sauce. Add 4 cups of the vegetable broth, red pepper flakes, the greens and 3 cups of the cooked beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until greens are tender, about 10 minutes. Place the remaining beans and broth in a blender jar and process until smooth. Add to the soup pot. Add the vinegar and pepper to taste. Heat through and serve with the hot pepper sauce, if desired.
Hints: We like this best with hearty greens, such as kale or Swiss chard. Make this with a variety of beans for a more colorful soup. Try with 2 cans of white beans (blend one of them) and 1 can of red or black beans. Or try this with garbanzo beans. Different beans will give this soup different flavors and textures. One can of chopped tomatoes may also be added to this soup, or try adding 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste to the processed bean mixture.