devi

Mama’s Bean Soup

  • Olive oil 
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced 
  • 1 white/yellow onion, chopped 
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 can diced tomatoes 
  • 1 can cannellini beans 
  • 1 can red kidney beans 
  • Vegetable stock (or chicken broth)
  • 1 bunch red chard (can be substituted with any kind of kale!), chopped into small/medium pieces, OK to leave ribs/stems
  • (Optional: 4 pre-cooked sausages, any kind, cut into pieces) 
  1. Heat a couple tablespoons olive oil in a large pot (a dutch oven is great if you have one) over medium heat, add garlic and fry in the oil for a minute 
  2. If using sausage, sauté sausage until golden-brown (otherwise, skip to step 3)
  3. Add onions and green pepper, let cook until tender (5-10 minutes), stirring occasionally
  4. Stir in diced tomatoes, then both cans of beans, stir (being careful not to break the beans) until everything is mixed and let cook for a few minutes
  5. Once all the ingredients are mixed and cooking, pour in as much vegetable or chicken stock as desired (I eyeball it, usually using about 1/2-3/4 of a carton, basically until it really looks like a soup lol) 
  6. Let the stock heat up and simmer, then start adding the chard/kale a handful at a time, mixing it in to the soup 
  7. When all the chard/kale is mixed in and the soup is bubbling, reduce heat and cover the pot.
  8. Let the soup simmer for at least 45 minutes (it tastes the best the longer it simmers), stirring it every 5 minutes or so. If I have time, I try to let it simmer for an hour and a half.
  9. Ladle into bowls and add salt/pepper as desired! 

This recipe is really easy to prep and cook, but note that it needs to simmer for about an hour to really taste good! I like to put on a movie while I make it. It’ll make a big amount (after serving 3-4 people, there will still be leftovers!), perfect to keep in the fridge and reheat throughout the week.