Rainbow Bean Soup

Yield -4-6+

Pillar of Nutrition Lean on Protein, Eat the Rainbow

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Rainbow Bean Soup

Canned cannellini beans are paired with vegetables and seasonings make this a kids favorite all year long.

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 carrots, grated
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 quart (4 cups) vegetable broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can white beans (such as cannellini or navy), drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1-2 bay leaves
• ¾ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 cups seasonal greens, such as spinach, chard and/or kale, chopped

Directions

1. Dice, grate and mince the various vegetables (celery, carrots, onion, garlic).
2. Open and drain the can of beans. Open the can of tomatoes.
3. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat until it begins to simmer (about 1 minute).
4. Add the celery, carrot, and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened (about 5 minutes).
5. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Then add several big pinches of salt and pepper.
6. Stir in the broth, tomatoes with their juices, beans, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover the pot with a lid.
7. Bring to a simmer, on medium-high heat (about 5 minutes). Once simmering, turn the heat to medium-low, and continue simmering for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft
8. Chop the greens while the soup is simmering
9. Add the chopped greens to the pot after the soup has been simmering for about 10 minutes. Cook for around 5 minutes until the greens are wilted.
10. Taste and add more salt or pepper as needed.

Notes

Variations to Try

• Try a delicious alternative to onion: leeks
• Add some other colorful veggies like purple cabbage red bell pepper, green beans, corn or peas

Something to Chew On

• Food historians tell us the history of soup is probably as old as the history of cooking!
• Spice it up! Smell the thyme and bay leaves. Experiment with different herbs and spices.
• Chicken and cheese/dairy are popular choices of protein. Do plants provide protein? Can you name other plant proteins?

Nutritional information is approximate guide only, calculated using an online nutrition calculator. The facts are based on one pancake using one tbsp of mixture. Yields about 12 -15 pancakes.

Eat the Rainbow, Lean on Protein