There are soups, and then there are soups. I put this in the "there are soups" category.
This is one of those hearty soups that satisfies a high protein and fibre source to lower blood sugar for the treatment of diabetes. I believe simple to make and great tasting makes this soup an absolute favourite.
All natural. The recipe calls for refried beans to be mashed as a thickener, but that is too much work. I always go with the adage, "keep it simple." Fewer ingredients, fewer pots. It is about having hearty dinners with regular, run-of-the-mill ingredients. If I do not have something in the house or cannot pronounce the name, the recipe usually does not pass my test.
I take a few tablespoons of beans and mash them up - a great thickener at the end of the cooking process.
The Ingredients For Eight Servings
One finely chopped onion
One tablespoon of mashed garlic - in a pinch, I use garlic powder.
Two large carrots sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds - if the pieces are large in diameter, cut in half or quarter.
Two celery stalks sliced into 1/2-inch pieces.
One cup of potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes.
Six and one half (6 1/2) cups vegetable broth - I also alternate with beef broth. Please read the labels to ensure the salt content is acceptable. There are low-sodium options.
1 x 14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes - alternatively, I usually chop fresh tomatoes.
Eight ounces of tomato sauce - easy to make in a blender - I never use store-bought sauce. Too much sugar, too much salt and I like to know what is going in what I will eat. To make sauce chop up 4 - 5 tomatoes and put in a blender with four cloves of garlic, a tablespoon of olive oil, and 1/2 capful of whatever vinegar you may have (not critical if you do not have any). I usually use apple cider vinegar, then throw in a handful of oregano and a few shakes of pepper and blend.
One bay leaf if you have it.
Two tablespoons of parsley flakes - if I don't have parsley flakes, I throw in some extra oregano.
Two teaspoons of dried basil.
Two teaspoons of Oregano
1 x (15-ounce) can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed. That is what the recipe calls for, but with my instant pot and after soaking the beans overnight, I do not use canned beans.
3/4 cup of frozen corn, or a mix of frozen corn, peas, beans - or even fresh. What you have available in the soup is more important than following the recipe to a tee.
Two cups chopped Swiss chard, or I use chopped Bok Choy and in a pinch, finely chopped cabbage.
One teaspoon of balsamic vinegar - or in a pinch, whatever vinegar you have handy.
1/2 cup of whole wheat pasta - Decide if you want to put this in the soup or leave it out. Leaving this out will not ruin the soup. It all depends on how your glucose reacts to pasta.
The Way to Make It
Now comes the easy part, putting all this together. Many recipes will give you 100 instructions, dividing things up and cooking some things first - Nope, not me. Please keep it simple.
Put your pot on the stove, or if using an instant pot, fire it up on the soup setting.
Put all the vegetable ingredients into the pot.
Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Give the mix a good stir and let it cook for 2 - 3 minutes.
Add the balsamic vinegar (or the vinegar you will use) and any spices you have not deposited into the pot.
Add the beans - if the beans are not cooked, pressure cook the whole mix for 20 minutes. After carefully releasing the steam pressure, test the beans - if not cooked enough, hit the mixture for another 20 minutes. That will fix anything that ails them.
If using canned beans, you can miss the bean cooking step.
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