Vegan Smoky White Bean Soup

Soup is not only delicious, it also is one of the fantastically easy ways you can cut back on your food budget! I pay between $1 and $1.50 for an entire pound of dried beans, depending on the type I am purchasing. Because the volume triples after cooking, a pound of dried beans (2 1/4-3 cups depending on the type of bean), will yield 6 1/2 – 9 cups of cooked beans. I keep a huge array of beans in my pantry and use them on a regular basis.

I developed this recipe one day when I wanted the flavor of old-fashioned bean and bacon soup without the meat.  I use white beans or pinto beans interchangeably in this soup and both are quite good. It’s thick and delicious and will definitely take you back to those days when your mother opened a can of Campbell’s Soup for your lunch!

Yep.  We eat soup year round.  It’s cheap to make and if you use a crock pot or pressure cooker it doesn’t take up a lot of your time and won’t heat up your kitchen.  Best of all, if you make it yourself it can be low sodium and really nutritious.  

Prep Instructions:   

I make my soup in my trusty pressure cooker.  But, you can make it in a crock pot or stove top.

For the pressure cooker, just wash 4 cups of white beans and throw them into the pot.

For crock pot or stove top, soak 4 cups of beans in twice the volume of water. The next morning, drain the water and then proceed with the recipe as written.  This recipe will completely fill an 8 quart crockpot to the top. 

Chop carrots, celery, and onions.  Mince garlic.  Add to the soup pot along with 8 cups of water (or homemade broth) and a 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes.  I use salt free tomatoes to cut back on sodium. 

Add the seasoning and liquid smoke to the pot.

Pressure cooker:  cook 24 minutes under pressure with a natural release.

Crock pot:  cook 8 hours on “low” or 4-5 hours on “high”.

Stove top:  bring to a boil and then lower to simmer for 90-120 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

While the soup is still hot, throw the cut greens on the top. Replace the lid and let sit for 5 minutes. The greens will be perfectly wilted and add the perfect splash of color to the finished soup.

Add fresh cracked black pepper to taste just before serving.

Smoky White Bean Soup

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• White or pinto Beans – 4 cups – rinsed and sorted
• Carrots – 2 medium – diced
• Celery – 3 stalks – sliced
• Onion – 1 medium – diced
• Garlic – 4 cloves – minced
• Crushed tomatoes – 28 ounce can
• Water or stock – 8 cups
• No salt seasoning – 1 Tbsp.
• Garlic powder – 1 tsp.
• Onion powder – 1 Tbsp.
• Dried parsley – 1 Tbsp.
• Dried basil – 1 Tbsp.
• Liquid Smoke – 2 tsp.
• Greens – chopped – 4 cups. ( kale, turnip, or beet greens all work well)
• Fresh cracked black pepper – to taste

Instructions:

Prep beans:

• For the pressure cooker:  just wash 4 cups of beans and throw them into the pot.  
• For crock pot or stove top:  soak 4 cups of beans in twice the volume of water. The next morning, drain the water and then proceed with the recipe as written.  This recipe will fill an 8 quart crockpot or cooking pot to the top. 

After the beans are prepped according to how you plan to cook the soup, chop carrots, celery, and onions.  Mince garlic.  Add to the soup pot along with 8 cups of water (or homemade stock) and a 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes.  I use salt free tomatoes to cut back on sodium. 

Add the seasoning and liquid smoke to the pot. Cook soup, using your desired method. Refer to the chart for instructions.

METHOD	INSTRUCTIONS
Pressure Cooker	Pressure cook 24 minutes, allow for natural release
Crockpot	Soak beans overnight, drain, assemble soup, cook 4-5 hours on high, 8 hours on low
Stovetop	Soak beans overnight, drain, assemble soup, bring to boil, simmer 1 1/2-2 hours

Add fresh cracked black pepper to taste just before serving.

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