Soup For You: Adzuki Bean Soup

Soup, or the lack thereof, entered the ranks of sitcom history thanks to Seinfeld and the episode entitled, "The Soup Nazi."  The declaration, "No soup for you!" will forever bring to mind Elaine's ill-fated attempt to order soup while imitating Al Pacino's famous "hooah"  in the movie Scent of a Woman.  Unlike the Soup Nazi, my rallying cry is more apt to be, "Soup for everyone!"

Soup in our house bears no resemblance to anything Andy Warhol captured on canvas.  It is made from scratch and always in a large batch.  When money gets tight or finances are uncertain, the first thing I say is, "No problem.  I'll just make more soup."  When work gets crazy or schedules are stretched to the limit, the first thing that comes to mind is, "No problem.  I'll just make a pot of soup."  And then, of course, there's the requisite chicken soup for colds.  It's amazing how many ills....physical and otherwise....a simple bowl of soup can remedy.

A recent addition to my soup repertoire is Adzuki Bean Soup.  After reading about adzuki beans, I happened upon them in the bulk food section of Whole Foods.  While some beans can become mushy in soup, these little maroon babies not only remain firm, they have a decidedly meaty texture.  This is especially nice if you happen to be living with any "default vegetarians".....people who are vegetarians only because the person cooking the meals is a vegetarian.  Welcome to our house.

This recipe makes a lot of soup which is why it is great for busy schedules.  I make a pot on Sunday for dinner.  We have it again a couple days later and the rest is frozen for another dinner or two.  I usually serve this soup with a batch of Spelt Biscuits.

Adzuki Bean Soup

2 cups adzuki beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
8 carrots, peeled and chopped
8 celery stalks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes in juice
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups water
salt and pepper

Rinse the beans in cool water and discard and misshapen beans or stones.  Place the beans in a saucepan and add water to cover.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil for 4 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for one hour.  Drain the beans.  The beans will still be firm at this point.

Over medium heat, warm the olive oil in a large soup pot.  Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and saute, stirring often, until softened but not browned, about 15 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and their juice, broth, beans, water, and 2 teaspoons salt.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for at least 2-3 hours until beans are tender. Season with salt and pepper.  If the soup seems too thick, add a little more water.  When reheating the leftover soup, it may be necessary to add a little more water to thin.  As with most of my soup recipes, the recipe can be cut in half if this is just too much soup for you!

Obviously, this soup is vegetarian/vegan only if using the vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.