Bean & veggie soup

​Recipe from Make Five/Maak vyf
Serves 6

This is my version of an Italian minestrone with beans and lots of veggies. The beans are soaked overnight and then precooked before adding the veggies. This way the beans are soft and the veggies don’t overcook, but still have some texture and lots of colour.

250 ml (1 cup) dried black-eyed beans or butter beans

1 litre (4 cups) water

2 bay leaves

15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 leeks, sliced

3 celery stalks with the leaves, thinly sliced

2 carrots, sliced diagonally

3 baby marrows, sliced diagonally

750 ml (3 cups) vegetable stock or strong Rooibos

375 ml (1½ cups) white wine

30 ml (2 tbsp) chopped fresh origanum

6 thick slices fresh ginger

150 g broccoli, cut into florets

100 g green beans, cut into thirds

lemon juice, salt and pepper

handful fresh basil leaves, chopped

1. Cover the beans with plenty of cold water and soak overnight.
2. Drain beans and place in a pot with one bay leaf and 750 ml (3 cups) water. Don’t add salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then reduce the heat. Cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and sauté onion, garlic, and leeks until soft. Add celery, carrots and baby marrows and sauté for a few more minutes.
4. Stir in the rest of the water, the stock and the wine, the remaining bay leaf, origanum and ginger and bring to a boil.
5. Drain the beans and add, with the bay leaf, to the soup. Reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for another 20 minutes or until the beans and veggies are just cooked.
6. Stir in the broccoli and green beans and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the broccoli is just cooked and still bright green in colour. Season to taste, but don’t use too much salt, as there is already stock in the soup. Serve with a bowl of fresh basil at the table.

1. Any veggies are delicious in this soup. Try butternut, cauliflower or peas, but simmer until the veggies are just tender and not overcooked. 
2. Add 250 ml (1 cup) small pasta shapes to the soup to thicken it and to make the meal more filling. Add a little extra water, if necessary.
3. If you are in a hurry, add 1-2 x 410 g tins beans or chickpeas to the soup. Follow the recipe from step 3.
4. For more delicious soup recipes click here.

Image: Neville Lockhart