Vegetarian 13 Bean Soup

Vegetarian 13 Bean Soup

This soup is a great way to get lots of healthy protein without spending too much money. You can buy the Bob's Red Mill 13 Bean Soup beans in most stores, sometimes even in the bulk section. The key to this soup is the seasoning, feel free to adjust the amounts of the herbs as desired.  The great thing about this soup is that you can serve it lots of different ways. We ate it with Kacie's Garlic Bread and we also served it over potatoes (like chili). You can sprinkle cheese on top, or a spoonful of sour cream...  In other words, this is a great soup to make a huge pot of because it's very easy to change it up throughout the week so you don't get bored!  The beans provide 18 grams of protein per serving! That's 54 grams of protein in the whole pot of soup. This recipe makes 8-10 servings, that means each serving has about 7 grams of vegetarian protein.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill 13 Bean Soup (dried beans)
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
2 quarts low-sodium vegetable broth (I prefer Trader Joe's Organic version)
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon thyme
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon herbs de provence
1 teaspoon paprika
extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
START THE NIGHT BEFORE BY SOAKING THE BEANS IN A LARGE BOWL OF WATER!!! (I always forget to do this and we are usually stuck throwing together breakfast for dinner and making soup the next night!  Follow the direction on the package for soaking the beans.
Heat a large pot over medium, add your olive oil, then your onion.  Saute for about seven minutes just until the onion starts to brown.  Add the garlic and stir for one minute until the garlic is fragrant.  Add in the carrots, tomatoes, and the seasonings.  Give it a good stir before adding the broth and the beans.  Stir again and bring to a simmer.  Allow it to simmer for about an hour or until the largest beans are tender.  This soup is intended to end up with the consistency of a chili but if you feel like you're losing too much broth simply add a little more and cover the soup while it finished cooking.  Discard the rosemary sprig and the bay leaf. Season to taste, transfer to bowls and sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

Printable Recipe:
Vegetarian 13 Bean Soup