Sunday's Soup

Today's soup is another one of my concoctions. I love inventing recipes, especially when they end up actually being tasty!! Since I don't eat meat, I am very conscious of making sure I get enough protein in my diet, so I eat lots of beans. One of my favorites is Flageolet Beans. The beans originated in France and are called  "The Caviar of Beans". If you would like to know a little more about them, click here.

 They are such a pretty little bean. I love the pale pistachio color.

 When soaked over night, they plump up to about twice their original size.

If you would like to give today's soup a try and you cannot find Flageolet Beans, Navy Beans can be substituted without a problem. I'm calling today's soup,
Lean, Mean and Green Flageolet Bean Soup

This soup is power packed with vitamins.

The ingredients;

1 16 ounce package of dried Flageolet Beans

2 tablespoons of olive oil 

2 leeks

1 green bell pepper

3 stalks of celery

1 poblano pepper

2 cloves of garlic

1 ten ounce package of fresh spinach, chopped

2 Bay Leaves

1 teaspoon of dried sage

12 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

Salt and Pepper to taste

Begin by soaking beans in water over night. The next morning, rinse beans and set aside.

Chop leeks. 

Saute leeks in olive oil until they are soft. Add celery, bell pepper, garlic and poblano pepper and continue to saute on a medium flame for approximately 10 minutes. Add beans and chopped spinach and broth. This does make a rather large pot of soup, but gradually add broth to desired consistency. The beans may absorb some of the liquid during cooking, so you may need to add more as the soup continues to cook. 12 cups should be plenty though. Add bay leaves and sage. I love sage, but if you don't, just leave it out. I think the sage gives the soup a richer taste, but it is a personal preference.
Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer on a low heat for 2 hours, or until beans are tender.

 Ladle up and enjoy!

The soup is wonderful with a slice of good crusty bread and a glass of wine, perfect for a fall or winter evening. If you have left over chicken or turkey as many of you will have in a little over a week, feel free to add it.
I do hope you will give this a try. Too bad there isn't a way to add smell to a blog post as my house smells wonderful!
Happy Sunday Everyone!