Hearty Bean Soup – Vegan Friendly

Now that we are in September it is time for some hearty bean soup. Never mind the fact that in Dubai it is still above 35°C on the daily, I want some bean soup! This recipe for hearty (and delicious) bean soup uses home made vegetable broth, loads of kidney beans, some lovely fresh veggies and of course the all important spices.

I feel that a good soup also requires a equally, if not better, base. For my base I made my own vegetable broth the recipe which you can find here. Making your own broth and stock is an excellent addition to any sustainable or low waste lifestyle. It also tastes much better, uses less salt and is easy to customise.

Hearty Bean Soup – Vegan Friendly

1 kg precooked kidney beans

500mL vegetable broth

4 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

3 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tsp smoked sweet chili powder, or your chili powder of choice

1 tsp cumin

Salt and fresh ground pepper for flavour

In a large soup heat the olive oil on medium and then add in the garlic and onions. Heat until soft. Then add in the broth and kidney beans and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add in the vegetables and bay leaves. Simmer for 45 minutes then add in the remaining spices and salt and pepper and reduce to low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Once cool make sure to remove the bay leaves. Once it is cool then, using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it has reached your desired consistency. To make it a Hearty Bean Soup set aside one cup of the soup before blending and then add it in once done.

For a better flavour profile serve the next day or freeze it into portions for further use or meal prep. Yummy!

Notes:

Save the celery leaves and finely chop them to decorate the soup like I have. I also used a dollop of vegan sour cream and chopped tomatoes to top it. Delicious!