There is nothing more satisfying than a great bowl of soup with crunchy bread when there is a chill in the air. Soup warms you from the inside out – and is a great comfort food. Soup made with beans is even better! It is not only delicious, nutritious, economical, full of flavor and fiber, but it’s also good for you! I made this soup in one hour in an electric pressure cooker. With the electric pressure cooker soaking is not required.
This particular bean soup features cranberry beans. Cranberry beans, also known by the names borlotti and shell received their name from the color of the speckled cranberry markings on the bean which disappear after cooking. They may resemble a more colorful version of a pinto bean, but that is where the similarity ends. This bean has a creamy texture and a delicate nutty flavor that is sure to please!
Cranberry Bean Soup
Serves about six people
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil + 4 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
4 small carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalk celery chopped (make sure you use the leaves of the celery for extra flavor)
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
2 ¼ cups dried cranberry beans
8 cups water
1 bay leaf
3 fresh sage leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Heat the 2 Tablespoons of oil in a skillet and over medium heat, cook the onion, celery, carrots and garlic until the onion is soft. Add the parsley and basil.
Sort and rinse the beans and add them to the pressure cooker with 8 cups of water and 4 teaspoons of olive oil. Add the onion mixture to the beans with the bay leaf, sage and tomatoes. Close the lid and set the manual time to 60 minutes on the cooker. After beans are cooked, add salt and pepper to taste.
If you want to cook this on the stove, soak the beans overnight, rinse them and add them to a stock pot and follow the directions above except for the pressure cooker directions. Cook on the stove on medium-low heat for approximately 1 ½ hours or until beans are soft.
Enjoy!
