Navy Bean Soup

I'll be honest. The picture turned out better looking than the actual thing. I really liked the look of the soup before adding the tomatoes, and I seriously considered not adding them. I added the tomatoes anyway and I was right. The soup was more asthetically pleasing without them. I didn't have high hopes of getting a decent picture. Since I am now unable to eat anything that hasn't been immortalized in photo, I had to take a picture anyway. Lo and behold, I think the bean soup photo is now one of my favorites so far. Life is full of suprises!

This recipe is just your basic bean soup fare. Its tasty, but could probably be tastier with the addition of a ham hock, chopped ham, or cooked bacon. Its up to you!

I cooked a pound of Navy Beans in the pressure cooker. You may cook them any way you choose. Oh, heck, you could even use canned beans. I'm not sure how many you would need, maybe 2 or 3 cans?


Navy Bean Soup

about 1/2 to 2/3 pot of a pound of cooked Navy Beans
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup of carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1/2 medium onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon sage
1 bay leaf
1 can petite diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, combine the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Saute with a bit of oil. When the onions are soft and fragrant, add the chicken broth, sage, and bay leaf. Add about 1/2 of the cooked beans (drained). I think I added more than half of them. More like 2/3 of them. Simmer until the carrots are just like you like them (crunchy or soft, its up to you), stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes, and simmer a minute or two more. Add salt and pepper to taste.