This recipe is an invitation to use your creative vision and your kitchen intuition.
You can use any beans you want. White beans and Kidney beans are really nice for this soup, but you can absolutely play with other beans.
Pick any seasonal vegetables that you like. In season right now (December/January) are carrots, celery, fennel, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, dandelion, leeks, cilantro, parsley, cabbage.
Ingredients:
3-4 cups of dried beans (depending on how thick you want the soup)
1-2 large onion
2 leeks (the white part) (make sure to rinse well)
1 garlic head
Any seasonal veggies you want (the amounts are up to you – whatever you want, as much as you want, depending on how thick you want the soup, and which veggies you want more of)
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of cilantro
1 cup high quality olive oil
1 TBSP cumin powder
1 TBSP Turmeric powder
1 TBSP Paprika powder
Pink Himalyan salt
Black pepper
Instructions:
Soak the beans overnight. Strain and rinse super well. Place in a pot with lots of water and bring to a boil, and then simmer, while you begin to chop the veggies.
Wash all the veggies well, and peel and chop the onion, leeks, and garlic.
In a different pot (I use an 8QT one) put the oil with the chopped garlic, onion, and leeks. Saute on medium heat until golden. Stir often.
While this is happening, chop the hard veggies. Big chunks or super small pieces – whatever you like.
Add the spices and keep stirring for another minute or so.
Now add the hard vegetables to the pot and saute for a few minutes, until the veggies seem a bit softer and full of oil and flavor.
If you think it’s needed, add more oil.
Strain the beans, and then add them to the pot with the vegetables and spices. Mix it all together. Add water all the way to the top of the pot. Add black pepper. Add the salt a little later, once the beans have softened.
Cover. Bring to a boil, and then simmer. Cook till the beans are soft and the soup is tasty. If needed, add more (boiled) water.
While it’s cooking, wash and chop any of the leafy greens and the herbs.
When the soup is ready, add the greens and the herbs. Stir it in, and then turn off the heat.
Make your own variation. Let this soup be a creative endeavor, one that follows color, texture, and your intuitive kitchen witchery.
Enjoy!
And let me know how it turns out.
Xoxo
Hagar