Family Best Time >> Food

Hawaiian Bean Vegetable Soup Recipe

Did you know that Opdrah loves soup? In her new book she shares some of her favorites and this is one of them.

Ingredients
For 6 people

  • 370 g dried large lima or cranberry beans (or 1100 g cooked beans, drained)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • ½ red bell pepper, without seeds and finely chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 2 medium winter carrots, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tbsp chili flakes
  • 1.5 liters of chicken stock
  • 1 strip of orange peel, preferably dried, or 2 tsp grated orange peel
  • 1 star anise
  • 5 cm fresh ginger root, in very thin slices
  • 4 tbsp peanut butter without pieces of nuts
  • 60 g finely chopped Swiss chard

Garnish

  • Bean sprouts
  • finely chopped fresh coriander
  • splash of lime juice
  • strips of serrano pepper
  • freshly grated ginger
  • grated orange peel
  • splash of sherry

Preparation method
Put dried beans under plenty of water and let them soak for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Drain and place in a large saucepan with 1 bay leaf. Add some salt. Bring the beans to a boil over high heat and cook over low heat for 1 hour. Drain and remove the bay leaf. Puree a third of the cooked beans in a blender.

Rinse the pan and dry it. Heat the oil in it over medium to low heat. Saute onion, bell pepper, celery, carrot and 2 teaspoons salt for 10 minutes, until vegetables are soft but not discolored. Fry the garlic and chili flakes for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the beans, bean puree, stock, orange zest, star anise, ginger, peanut butter, and remaining bay leaf. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Stir to dissolve the bean puree and peanut butter.

Reduce the heat and cook the soup for another 20 minutes. Cook the Swiss chard for 2 minutes, until it has wilted. Remove the orange peel, bay leaf and star anise. Divide the garnish among bowls and pour the soup over it. Finish the soup with a dash of sherry. Serve with bowls of jasmine rice.

For more recipes, see the May issue of Santé.

Source &Image:Oprah's Favorite Dishes, $22.99 at AKO.