3 Pepper Bean Soup

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Some days it just has to be a quick and easy soup. I literally made this one in between answering emails and studying. Like many soups the active time is minimal and the result is totally worth it.

For me soups can be eaten any time of year and day, for that matter (I had this one for breakfast the other day and it was delicious, and yes, I know I am wierd). And usually the ingredient list goes by the content of my refrigerator and freezer in the colder months, my garden or the farmers market the rest of the year.

This particular recipe ends with kind of a ‘build your own’ option, a more brothy one with hearty chunks or a little thicker and more creamy option. Depending on the mood and/or the outside temperature you can vary it accordingly. Okay, you can’t go back from creamy to chunky, but it works the other way round. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

If you feel like it, you can add some cooked, shredded or diced chicken or beef.

imageIt’s very hard to take pretty soup pictures 🙁 the taste will have to make up for it

Ingredients

  • 1 medium red onion, diced
  • 1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1/2 yellow bell pepper
  • 1-2 small Thai chili peppers (or other hot pepper), sliced thinly
  • 4 cups beef broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
  • 2 1/2 cups red beans, cooked, such as dark red kidney beans, or small red beans (if you don’t cook them and freeze them, from 2 cans)
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • salt & freshly ground pepper to taste (I used 1 tsp, but the broth I used, has no salt in it)
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • water, to thin the soup if it get’s too thick

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Directions

  1. In a large stock pot, heat up some oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook juts until it changes color to light golden
  2. Add bell pepper and hot pepper, cook 8 minutes or until onions are tender.
  3. Add broth and beans. (If using canned beans, rinse them before adding)
  4. Cook about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, then remove about 1 cups of the soup including beans, and puree, or mash the beans with a fork for a very chunky soup. If you want a thick and creamy soup, puree 2 cups.
  5. Add the cider vinegar and cook for another 2 minutes. (trust me on that one, it is essential)

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Happy to say that my Rye Sourdough seems to finally take off 🙂 More on that later though

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