Fall Pinto Bean and Yam Soup

Another great recipe from Maggie Christopher, holistic nutrition counselor!

This soup is a celebration of the flavors of autumn and the abundant harvest that this season has to offer! If you don’t want to cook your own beans, simply use 3 cans of organic beans. You will be delighted at the flavor of this soup.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

2 cups dry pinto beans, soaked overnight

6 to 8 cups water

4 cloves garlic, peeled

One 2-inch piece kombu seaweed

2 TBS unrefined olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

2 small yams, peeled and diced

3 carrots, cut into rounds

1 TBS ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp chipotle chili powder

8 cups bean cooking liquid and/or water

One 28-ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes

2 to 3 ears of fresh corn, cut off the cob (or 1.5 cups of frozen, organic corn)

1 small bunch of kale, finely chopped

1 cup chopped cilantro

½ lime, juiced

2 to 3 tsp sea salt or Herbamare

Directions:

1. Rinse and drain soaked beans, place into a 6-quart pot with water, garlic and kombu; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for approximately 1 hour, or until beans are soft and mash easily. Remove pot from heat. Drain beans and reserve the cooking liquid.

2. To make the soup, heat olive oil in a large 8-quart pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for about 5 minutes.

3. Then add the garlic, jalapeno peppers, yams, carrots, cumin, paprika, and chipotle chili powder. Saute and stir for another 5 minutes then add water. Mix well to remove any spices that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.

4. Add the cooked beans, bean cooking liquid or water, tomatoes, and cut corn, mix well. If the soup needs more liquid, then add more water.

5. Cover pot and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Then add chopped kale, chopped cilantro, lime juice and sea salt or Herbamare. Simmer for about 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust salt and lime juice if needed.

 

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash