Using a Pot of Beans Part II: Almost-Instant Vegetable Bean Soup

Posted by Stephanie Meyer on Feb 5, 2011 at 10:38am

Almost-Instant Vegetable Bean Soup

This is a variation on a recipe from Jacques Pepin’s fabulous cookbook Fast Food My Way. If you like the idea of easy, fast, flavor-packed, healthy dinner ideas – yes, it delivers all of those things – I can’t recommend the book highly enough.

As the name implies, this light-yet-filling soup is on the table in less than 10 minutes. Jacques refers to it as “fridge soup.” I think of it as “a bowlful of health.” It is delicious.

Though the ingredients are few, the flavor is big. Punch it up even more with a generous grating of cheese to finish. If you happen to have anchovy or herb butter on hand, float a teaspoon or so on top (or drizzle with seriously fruity olive oil), grind plenty of black pepper over the whole, and be glad for fast, hot soup on a cold Minnesota day.

Riff on this basic concept to your heart and stomach’s content: Add neatly diced leftover roast, a shower of fresh herbs, a fried egg, cubes of firm tofu, a spoonful of kimchi, leftover rice, a squirt of sriracha, toasted croutons…if you can imagine it, it can be yours in mere minutes.

(Also see Using a Pot of Beans Part I: Poached Egg over Lentils, Bacon & Cabbage.)

Almost-Instant Vegetable Bean Soup
Serves 2 (double or more as you like)

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 c. grated vegetables (any combination of cauliflower, cabbage, shallot, carrot, fennel, broccoli, celery, radishes – whatever you have/like)
1/2 c. cooked beans
2 c. water
1 tsp. salt
freshly grated Parmesan or Gruyere cheese (or another that you have/like)
anchovy butter, herb butter, or extra-virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in grated vegetables to coat with oil, then add water and salt. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, and simmer for 2-3 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp. Ladle into bowls and top with plenty of grated cheese, a pat of butter or drizzle of oil, and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper.

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Older Comments

  1. By FreshTartSteph on February 6, 2011 at 7:10AM

    Thanks Xiaolu - I eat some version of this soup a couple of times/week, for lunch or dinner, esp in the winter. It's like a warm salad!

  2. By Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets on February 5, 2011 at 11:53AM

    This would be a lifesaver on the nights I get back from school a bit later in the evening. And healthy, too!