Bean soup

k2tog

Apologies if this is already on the board already - couldn't find it but that may be my questionable searching skills
I have some tins that have been lurking in the cupboard for ages -
cannellini beans
flageolet beans
chick peas
and of course kidney beans
I would like to use some or all of them in a soup possibly with some bacon bits and preferably make it in my slow cooker.
Has anyone got any recipes or general tips?
Please be gentle with me, this is my very first OP.

Gigervamp

I make a lovely thick bean soup. It came about one day when I rummaged through the cupboards, fridge and freezer and everyone loved it, so it's become a regular soup in my house.
The ingredients can be varied depending on what you have, but the two ingredients that I don't change are the coconut milk and cumin.

Tin of kidney beans drained and rinsed
Tin of chickpeas drained and rinsed
Tin of other beans drained and rinsed
A couple of medium sized potatoes peeled and chopped
A couple of carrots chopped
An onion, chopped
A clove of garlic crushed
A handful of peas
A handful of sweetcorn
A handful of runner beans if I have any in the freezer
Tin of coconut milk
Some herbs (I usually use thyme, rosemary and a bayleaf)
Ground Cumin (I just sprinkle it in until I like the taste, but it's probably about a teaspoonful)
Chilli powder (like the cumin, this is added to taste)
Veggie stock
Salt and pepper

I chuck it all in the slow cooker except the coconut milk. You need enough stock to just cover the beans and veg.
Cook on low if I've prepared it in the morning, or high if I make it midday.
About half an hour before I'm going to serve it, I take out the bay leaf, add the coconut milk and blitz it with the handblender.

If you serve it with homemade wholemeal bread, it's a very filling soup. It also tastes even better the next day.

thriftlady_2

Fry a chopped onion till translucent in oil/butter. Add a crushed clove of garlic if liked. A couple of chopped rashers of bacon is good at this point too.

Add spices at this point eg smoked paprika/chilli/cumin/coriander/curry

Add chopped veg eg carrot/peppers/leeks/potato/squash

Add all your beans drained from their canning liquid.

Stir then pour in a carton of passata plus about half a pint of stock/water.

Bring to the boil and then simmer till all veg are soft. Check seasoning and serve.

You can do this in a slow cooker if you want, but frankly there's little point. The whole thing shouldn't take more than 30 mins depending on the veg you add. Leave out the veg for a quicker soup. Remember the beans are already cooked.

k2tog

Thank you! They both sound great. No coconut lurking in the cupboard so will try that next time. Off to the kitchen to get started.