I love a good vegetable soup.  A soup you can eat bowls full of and not have tons of calories.  A soup that makes a big comforting pot full that you can freeze for later.  The more veggies the better.

Usually when I make a pot of soup I add a ton of canned beans with the liquids and starchy potatoes.  This time no canned beans or the salty liquids.  I had a bag of dry beans in my cupboard….for a very long time.  Luckily dried beans last forever, so it was time to try my hand at my beans.  Do you ever get nervous that your dried goods won’t turn out?  I always do when I use something for the first time.  Well, time to get over it!  First pour the amount wanted into a strainer and pick through to make sure there are no bad ones.  Second rinse off then spoon clean beans into a pot-spoon in so you don’t get any grit from the bottom of the strainer.  Then add enough water to cover by about two inches.  This I have to say was really cool.  I honestly didn’t know it was going to turn out like rice-put in a cup of dried beans and get over two cups after cooked!  So cool.

After the beans had boiled and simmered I started the soup making.  Really it was mostly chopping and tossing into the pot.  All my fave veggies (mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes and onion) plus some others I had never thought to add to one of my soups (zucchini, celery, lentils and kale).  All of these added up to some wonderful tasting soup.  It did seem odd with no potatoes or other grain.  I sometimes add barley to my soups, but always potato.  Miss the potato.

Also, without the bean juice I used vegetable stock.  I have never been a stock user since I always used the beans and then would add canned corn and green beans, but didn’t particularly care to have a dry soup…so in the soup went the stock.  I did add one can of canned peas, mainly because I they were there in the cupboard.  A little starch I guess.

Clean Vegetable Soup,  13 servings

1 Pkg Dried Beans, rehydrated

1 Onion, chopped

4 Stalks Celery, chopped

2 Carrots, chopped

1 Can Green Peas, with juice

2 Tbsp Garlic, Minced

1 Tbsp Pepper

1 Tbsp Dried Basil

1 Tbsp Dried Oregano

1 Tbsp Thyme

1/2 Tbsp Marjoram

1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 16 oz Pkg Mushrooms, chopped

2 Medium Zucchini, chopped

1 32oz Box Low Sodium Vegetable Broth

1 28oz Can Crushed Tomatoes

1 28oz Ca, Whole Tomatoes, broken up

1 C Lentils

1 Bunch Fresh Kale, stripped off stems and roughly chopped

1.  Measure out dried beans into a strainer and rinse; pick through to take out bad beans.  Spoon rinsed beans into a pot and cover with water to about two inches above beans.  Bring to boil and simmer for about an hour.

2.  Put large pot on largest burner and turn on high.  Add about 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Start chopping vegetables into small chunks in order on list to the carrots.  Add peas to get the liquid started.

3.  Lower heat to medium high.  Add all spices and garlic to the top of veggies.  Mix all spices and veggies well.

4.  Add mushrooms and zucchini then vegetable stock and all tomatoes.  Mix well, scraping the bottom of the pan so nothing is stuck to the bottom.

5.  Measure and add lentils to soup and mix well.

6.  Drain beans of liquid in strainer and rinse also.  Add to pot and stir.

7.  Cover pot and let simmer on medium heat for about two hours, stirring occasionally.

8.  About 90 minutes in start stripping the kale leaves from the stems and rough chop.  Add immediately to the pot.  Cover and let heat through.

9. Portion out and serve.  Enjoy!

Calories: 181

Fat: .2g

Sodium: 514mg

Total Carbs: 48.3g

Protein: 15.6g