Monday Meal Make-Over White Bean Soup

This week I tried another bean soup make over. I had some dry white beans that I re-hydrated but canned beans can be used instead!

I took two cups of (rinsed/cleaned) dry white beans and soaked them overnight in 2 cups of water and 2 cups of vegetable broth. The next morning I cooked them slowly for a few hours until they were soft, to taste. I like the batch to have some that melt in my mouth a a few that have a little texture.

In the soup pot I placed the following: a few tablespoons of olive oil, 6 large carrots (cut to your size preference), 4 cloves of garlic (minced), an onion (chopped finely), and a stalk of celery (chopped to your size preference). I sauteed them until translucent.

Then I added the re-hydrated beans, 6 cups of vegetable broth (chicken or beef could be used), 2 teaspoons of thyme and 1-3 bay leaves (to taste...I used 1). A potential add-in at this point is cooked sausage - chicken or pork - cut into small pieces.

Simmer until the beans are soft - which will take 1-2 hours.

Serving Suggestions - choices an be GLUTEN Free and/or VEGETARIAN:
a wedge of bread
a coup of soup and a half-sandwich
cheese, cracker, and fruit
hummus and pita


NEXT TIME ... I'll share pictures!