Beans and Greens Soup (Vegan)

A hearty bowl of soup is everyone’s favorite.  It soothes the soul, warms the belly, and makes the house smell delicious while it’s cooking.  We like to make double batches of our soups, because they freeze so well.  Nothing makes a better weeknight dinner that soup, salad, and a hearty bread.  It’s awesome when all you have to do is defrost the soup and whip up a fast salad (quick breads freeze very well too-check out our bread section).

There is no need to saute your vegetables in oil before making any soup.  We throw everything in a pot and cook together. This cuts down on cooking time, as well as unnecessary fats.

The beans we used in this soup are white cannellini beans.  We make ours out of dried beans, but canned is fine as well.  The usual version of this soup cooks the greens for a while, getting them to wilt down a lot.  We find that adding in the greens right at the end maximizes the health benefits of the greens, as well as giving your soup a better color.  We add in the garlic at the end as well to maximize it’s health benefits too.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of white cannellini beans (if using dried, soak 2 cups over night, drain, rinse, and cook for 12 minutes in a pressure cooker or 1 1/2 hours on stove)
• 6 cups of water
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 bay lead
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 cup carrots, sliced thinly (no need to peel)
• 3 cups of leeks (or other onion of your choice), chopped
• 3 tbsp galic
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 cups fresh greens (we used a combination of 2 cups kale and 2 cups beet greens because it’s what we had)
• *optional toppings: parsley, Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Place leeks/onions, celery, carrots, bay leaf, and salt, and water in a soup pot
2. Simmer until cooked about 15 minutes
3. Add in beans and cook for another 10 minutes
4. Add in greens and garlic, stirring in greens until wilted and remove from stove
5. Serve with fresh bread (click here for whole grain gluten free maple bread) and a salad, topped with Parmesan cheese if desired.
6. When reheated, you might want to add more liquid, soup thickens as it sits, and is even better the next day 🙂

Nutritional Benefits:

• High in Protein: beans are a great source of protein while adding little to no fat; great for healing and repairing tissues
• High in Fiber: great for digestive health and maintaining blood sugar levels
• No added fat/no fat: heart healthy
• Vegan
• Gluten Free
• Anti-inflammatory; Vitamin A & C help reduce inflammation in the body
• Full of anti-oxidants: 1230% Vitamin A & 607% Vitamin C in entire recipe
• Packed with potassium 6511 mg in entire recipe, essential for heart & kidney health; helps to balance nervous system function
• Great source of Calcium: 108% of daily needs; great for bone and dental strength
• Great Source of Iron: 140% iron daily needs in entire recipe; helps with oxygen binding to red blood cells, improves circulation

5.0 from 2 reviews

Beans and Greens Soup (Vegan)

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Beans and Greens Soup, made vegan and gluten free with no added fats

Author: www.gardenfreshfoodie.com

Recipe type: Soups

Cuisine: Soups

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

• 4 cups of white cannellini beans (if using dried, soak 2 cups over night, drain, rinse, and cook for 12 minutes in a pressure cooker or 1½ hours on stove)
• 6 cups of water
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 bay lead
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 cup carrots, sliced thinly (no need to peel)
• 3 cups of leeks (or other onion of your choice), chopped
• 3 tbsp galic
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 cups fresh greens (we used a combination of 2 cups kale and 2 cups beet greens because it's what we had)
• *optional toppings: parsley, Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Place leeks/onions, celery, carrots, bay leaf, and salt, and water in a soup pot
2. Simmer until cooked about 15 minutes
3. Add in beans and cook for another 10 minutes
4. Add in greens and garlic, stirring in greens until wilted and remove from stove
5. Serve with fresh bread and a salad, topped with Parmesan cheese if desired.
6. When reheated, you might want to add more liquid, soup thickens as it sits, and is even better the next day 🙂

Notes

Serves 6 (or more) Packed with potassium 6511 mg, 1230% Vitamin A, 607% Vitamin C, 108% calcium, and 140% iron daily needs in entire recipe.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅙ Calories: 207 Fat: 1.8 g Carbohydrates: 37.3 g Fiber: 10.5 g Protein: 11.8 g

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