Hearty Vegetable Bean Soup can be prepared in the slow cooker or on the stove top. I elected to use my slow cooker. Plug it in in the morning, and enjoy a delicious, comforting meal after work.
A little background about this recipe... I recently had my annual check up with my doctor, and my cholesterol was high. Not crazy high, but high enough that he wants to check it again in four months. I had a conversation with him about my dietary changes over the last year, and asked what else I could do. His answer? Reduce the animal proteins. Meat, dairy, eggs--all of these are staples in my diet--think cheese! What will I eat? My doctor recommended a book called How Not to Die. It's actually a fascinating, eye-opening book written by a doctor who believes in controlling health through nutrition and exercise, but mostly nutrition. I highly recommend it if you are someone who struggles with cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, etc.
No, I'm not going to become a total vegetarian on you, but I will be sharing some great meatless recipes. I really am determined to get my cholesterol under control through diet rather than medication. For me, this means cutting out a good portion of animal proteins. Our bodies simply do not need meat for every meal of the day. But, I do need protein to maintain energy levels when I'm working. Honestly, Hearty Vegetable Bean Soup really is filling and delicious. Plus, it carries a protein punch with the red and black beans.
This really is an easy recipe to put together. The only things I did that required a little extra planning were soaking the beans over night and making my own vegetable broth, which I prepped the day before. You could obviously use a store-bought vegetable broth and canned beans, but I just love the fresher flavors. (If you elect to use canned beans, you will want to add them to the last couple hours of cooking time.)
To create Hearty Vegetable Soup, simply chop the broccoli stems, carrots, potatoes, onion, and kale. Add the vegetables and beans to the slow cooker. Pour the vegetable broth in, add the spices, and give all the ingredients a good stir. Set the slow cooker for eight hours on low. That's it. Enjoy this delicious soup with a side salad and even some crusty bread if you're so inclined.
Oh, Daisy thought it was time to finally make an appearance. She's usually lurking somewhere near the photo set while I'm working, but this time she just had to stick her nose in.
Hearty Vegetable Bean Soup
Hearty Vegetable Bean Soup is a simple, delicious, comforting meal that utilizes the magic of your slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces red beans, soaked over night
- 8 ounces black beans, soaked over night
- 12 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cups broccoli stems, chopped
- 2 cups carrots, chopped
- 2 cups kale, packed
- 5 medium yukon gold potatoes
- 1 medium red onion
- 2 teaspoons Himalayan pink salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Instructions
- Soak the beans in enough water to cover them over night. Drain and rinse in the morning, then add them to the slow cooker.
- Chop the potatoes and broccoli stems into bite size pieces. Rough chop the kale, and dice the onion and carrots. Add the veggies to the slow cooker.
- Top all the ingredients with the vegetable broth and add the spices. Give everything a good stir, and set the slow cooker to low for 8 hours.
- Yes, that's it--incredibly simple and delicious.
Notes
- This makes A LOT of soup, but I wanted to have plenty of single servings to freeze. Yes, it does freeze and reheat well.
Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 203Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 1164mgCarbohydrates 42gFiber 9gSugar 5gProtein 9g
Note: Nutritional information is an approximation. Different brands and/or quantities will change the nutrition profile.
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