A combination of pinto, kidney, and white beans make this hearty soup a delicious main course when served with crusty bread and a fresh green salad…
Ingredients
- 1 cup each dried pinto beans, kidney beans, and white beans
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 medium onions
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 carrots
- 5 fresh tomatoes
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- Fresh parsley to taste
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Prep
- Rinse the beans and discard any moldy or misshapen ones, as well as, any stones
- Cover the beans with cold water and soak at least 4 hours or overnight
- Drain the beans and rinse again
- Finely chop the onions, celery, carrots and tomatoes
- Press or mince the garlic
- Chop the fresh parsley
Directions
In a large pot, sauté the onions in the butter for about 5 minutes until they start to soften. Add the celery, carrots, and garlic. Season with the sea salt and pepper. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes.
Add the drained beans, the tomatoes, the chicken broth, the water, the bay leaf, and the parsley.
Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for about 1 hour or until the beans are tender. Do not let the soup boil.
Discard the bay leaf. Using either a blender or food processor, puree half of the soup and return it to the pot. Stir through. Reheat the soup over a low heat. Taste the seasoning and add more sea salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
- If you like red wine, try adding a 1/2 cup along with the chicken broth and water