Hearty Bean Soup

Classic bean soup recipe. Can be made Italian by adding 3 tablespoons pesto and 1 cup cooked pasta to the finished soup. Can be made Mexican by using black beans, adding 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 2 teaspoons cumin when tomato paste is added. Can be made chunky by adding diced carrot, potato and shredded cabbage to the veggie list.

Step: 1

Pour water over navy beans in a large container to cover by several inches; soak 8 hours to overnight.

Step: 2

Combine soaked beans, chicken broth, water, onion, celery, garlic, and bay leaf in a large pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until beans are almost tender, about 1 hour.

Step: 3

Stir tomato paste and sea salt into bean mixture; simmer soup another 45 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Step: 4

Ladle about half the soup into a large bowl; pour soup into a blender, working in batches, filling blender no more than half full. Hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend until smooth. Pour pureed soup into pot with unblended soup; stir in parsley and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Per Serving: 217 calories; protein 13.8g; carbohydrates 39g; fat 1.2g; cholesterol 3mg; sodium 476.7mg.

The word “stew” can refer to 2 time a dish and a make dishes method. Stewing involves slowly cooking chunks of meat, vegetables or beans in a flavorful water based . It’s same as to braising, but it makes have a few piece of differences. The meat is chopped into few of pieces instead of being cooked whole , and the water based material all of it covers the contents in a stew as compared to a braise’s halfway all of it . When meat or vegetables are cooked using this method, the resulting dish is called stew.

Stew has a reputation for making a rib-sticking meal that warms you up on a cold , winter day. It’s true ; a bowl of classic beef stew does have warming properties , but stew’s cozy factor goes way beyond protecting you from the cold . It’s all about those tender chunks of food and vegetables, swimming in a thick, ultra-rich gravy. The more they come together creates the greatest comfort food, no matter the weather.