I’m not going to lie, this soup took a while to perfect. I am new to soaking and cooking with dry beans so I needed to play with that a while before I could get all the ingredients cooked just right and get the right flavors to come out. The good part about making this over and over, is that I could try a variety of tempeh and vegan sausage to find the one we liked best. There are many options when it comes to these; soy free, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian. You have to decide what it is you are looking for. We found one that fit our flavor preference and needs at Jimbo’s, our local health food store, but any tempeh or vegan sausage works. This soup is probably one of my new favorites for winter! The best part was that my kids could not get enough. They just loved it, which is awesome because it is filled with healthy nutrients for their growing bodies! I also love that it is a one pot meal, easy to make, and although takes some time to cook, it doesn’t require a ton of steps. I even learned a new trick for getting beans to cook faster from my wise Greek mother. By the time you clean up, wash some of the used cooking tools, and set the table, the soup is done! Hope you find that perfect day for this warm, hearty, and healthy soup. You won’t regret making it!
This veggie and protein filled soup is bursting with flavor. Whether you go for the smoke flavored tempeh or vegan sausage, you’ll definitely be going back for more! note: If you aren't quite ready to go completely vegan and want to use regular sausage, that works too. But if you are willing to give a veggie or vegan sausage a chance, you'll be surprised at how good it really tastes! Instructions: * Place 2 cups dry beans in a large bowl of water with 2 teaspoons baking soda (to help beans cook faster and evenly with other soup ingredients) and soak overnight. Make sure you have at least triple the amount of water than beans to make sure beans stay covered. I had the best luck with Cannellini beans, I tried other white beans but they took much longer to cook. Rinse soaked beans well to remove all traces of baking soda. Chop onion and sauté in large pot until soft. Add chopped carrots, beans, oregano and thyme and sauté 5 more minutes. Add tempeh/sausage and sauté a few more minutes. Add veggie broth, taste to see if more salt is needed, and bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, turn to low and simmer for about 40-50 minutes, checking beans often for consistency. Add kale about 30 minutes into cooking so it doesn’t get too soft. Once beans are soft turn off heat and serve.
Keith says
I made this tonight. Very good! The only real change I made was using dried herbs because I didn’t have fresh. Used tofurky sausage which is delish! Thanks!
veggiesdontbite says
That’s so great!! Thank you SO much for letting me know!
Amy says
This sounds SO good Sophia!! Any thoughts on making it in the crock pot? Would love to come home to this one night!
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Amy! I actually tried the crockpot with this and had trouble getting the beans to cook right. Starting with dry beans can get tricky, but I am still going to play with it because I would love a crock pot version too! One idea is that you can use canned beans and put them in about 5-10 minutes before you serve it. Let me know if you try it and how it works out! Also, I will be trying out a crockpot “creamy” tomato soup in a few weeks so look out for that one if you like crockpot meals!
Laura says
I’m loving white beans right now – and that soup looks delicious!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you Laura! Please let me know how it turns out if you give it a try.
The Editors of Garden Variety says
This looks wonderful. I will try making it tonight. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much! Please let me know how it turns out! And you can always use canned beans and add them at the end if you don’t have time to soak them.
herohealthroom says
Great recipe, thanks! Will be giving it a try sometime!
Luke
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you Luke! It’s my new favorite soup of the season and not too hard to make. Let me know how it turns out if you give it a try!