Beans and Greens Soup

A flexible bean soup recipe to make with this weeks cooking greens. This soup recipe is a go to Southern staple kind of recipe that can shift with the seasons and your cravings, just pick any bean, any broth, and any green for a new flavor combination. This gluten free recipe is also adaptable for meat-eaters and plant-based vegan and vegetarians alike depending on the broth and fat chosen. A comforting bowl of beans and greens is perfect for a cloudy spring day.

Photo and recipe originally published as Beans and Greens Soup by New Orleans Camellia Brand Beans.

We edited the recipe a bit to fit our seasonal offerings, but are always grateful to original content creators. Visit their site for more photos and details on preparation for this recipe.

Beans and Greens Soup

prep time: morning to evening soak, 10 min
cook time: 60 min

yields 10 cups

Ingredients

1 lb dried Navy Beans

2 tbsp choice of fat
(olive oil, butter, bacon grease)

2 cups chopped spring onions

3 cloves garlic

2 cups chopped carrot with other vegetable as desired

8 cups broth
(mushroom, vegetable, beef, chicken)

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3 cups chopped chard and baby arugula

2 tbsp cider or vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Preparation

1. Rinse and sort beans. Soak all day or overnight for quick cook of beans.

2. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

3. Add chopped onion and chopped vegetables and saute for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

4. Add broth, beans and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until beans are tender. (about 45min - 1 hour). Add more broth or water as needed.

5. While beans are cooking, separate chard stem and leaves and chop. Chop arugula as needed.

6. Stir in greens, vinegar, salt and pepper. Cook until greens are wilted (1-3 minute for arugula and chard leaves and 15-20 minutes for chard stems). Now’s the time to add any final seasonings or fresh herbs to boost the flavor too.

7. Serve hot with cheese on top and biscuits or cornbread beside if you like.

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