13 Bean Soup with a hint of Chili

13 Bean Soup with a hint of Chili!

Spring has finally come to Chicagoland, and we've been sick the past week (lol). Of course, this sort of thing is bound to happen. But that also means that we need to go back to our winter soups. And what a soup I have for you today!

Bob's Red Mill makes some of the best vegan, organic, whole grain, etc products I've ever had. Their 13 Bean Soup mix is no exception! I guess... all it is is 13 different types of beans, peas, and lentils. Basically, everything that makes a hearty soup, but needs a lot of prep time. Oh, and this is grain free. No barley, rice, or other things. For $5, this will make 2 full soups... about 10 or so meals. So it's worth every penny.

When we were sick, I made homemade vegetable broth. It's so easy! I took the recipe I did last year & added 3 small potatoes to the mix. (You can mash the potatoes when you're done cooking the broth, hehe). It creates a heartier broth, which is really really good if you're down with the flu! The leftovers of this broth is what I used for making this delicious concoction.

And you know what the best part about this thing is? I get to use my crockpot! I'm willing to bet that I could've thrown all these ingredients together into the crockpot & let it boil itself to perfection without all of the extra steps, but I felt like complicating things. Besides, it turned out great, so it's OK!

13 Bean Soup
with a hint of Chili

2 Cups Bob's Red Mill 13-Bean Soup Mix
5-6 cups vegetable broth
1 regular size can of diced tomatoes or tomato sauce
1 small yellow onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, diced
salt & pepper to taste
1 heaping tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne powder


BEANS
Wash & soak 2 cups of beans overnight (6-8 hours). They should at least double in size. Once ready, cook as you see fit, but use the vegetable broth for cooking instead of plain water. I prefer to use a crockpot, since I have one.

Once you have cooked beans, set aside. DO NOT DRAIN THE BEAN BROTH! Because it is vegetable broth & you have cooked beans in it, most of your nutrients are going to come from this... besides, it tastes delicious.

THE REST
Add some oil to the bottom of a large frying pan & sautee onion & garlic until just translucent. Add salt & pepper. Toss in the tomatoes, and mix until hot.Add beans & broth to the sautee. Mix well.

Add your chili powder & cayenne now. If you want a stronger chili flavor or heat, add more chili powder and/or cayenne accordingly to taste.

Take off of heat & enjoy your bowl of soup!!


Notes: For a thicker soup, use less broth when cooking the beans, but remember to use enough broth so that it doesn't evaporate!