Smoky Bean Soup Recipe

Are you looking for a soup that's tasty and hearty enough to be lunch on all its own, but is also perfect as a starter for a larger dinner? Then you're looking in the right place with this smoky bean soup recipe, which comes to your kitchen care of chef and recipe developer Catherine Brookes of Blue Sky Eating. Or the recipe comes to you from her, anyway, as you will have to do all the work yourself. Not to worry, though, the "work" involves about 5 minutes of prep and about half an hour of mostly hands-off cooking.

And while the ease of making this soup is one of the best things about, also of note is that it uses shelf- and fridge-stable ingredients (or even freezer ingredients, if you keep frozen veggies on hand) so you can make a batch any time, with no trip to the store required. But best of all, of course, is the fact that it tastes great. "I wanted to take some of the smoky, tomato-y flavors that you find in chili dishes and transform that into a delicious warming soup that's full of goodness," Brookes says. And guess what? She succeeded, but you'll find that out for yourself soon enough.

This delightfully savory soup calls for olive oil, diced onion, peeled and diced carrot, diced celery, smoked paprika, chili powder mix, some crushed garlic cloves, a can of chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, a can of butter beans and a can of black beans (both drained and rinsed), and salt and pepper to taste.

As with many a great recipes, this one starts with some veggies sautéing in olive oil. Heat the olive oil in a large, high-sided pot and fry the diced onion, carrots, and celery over a medium temperature for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently as the veggies soften and grow fragrant.

"Make sure to cook the onion, carrot, and celery for the full 10 minutes to really allow them to release all their flavor," Brookes advises. "Keep the heat on medium and don't be tempted to turn it up and go faster!"

Add the garlic, smoked paprika, and chili powder, and stir well. Then keep on cooking everything for another 2 minutes. And, for the record, if you like your soup with some kick, you can add a bit of cayenne pepper here. Not such a spice fan? Go easy on the chili powder.

Now, add all of the remaining ingredients to the pot and give everything a good stir. Then turn up the burner, bringing the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and leave the soup to cook for about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Serve the soup with fresh chopped parsley and crusty bread, or however you'd like to enjoy it. "It will keep well in the fridge up to three days," Brookes says, noting that "you can reheat it in the microwave."