Vegetable Soup with Pinto Beans
Vegetable Soup with Pinto Beans – hearty, nutritious and comforting soup made with simple pantry ingredients.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 3 stalks celery, diced small
- 1 onion, diced small
- 2 medium carrots, diced small
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 1 can pinto beans ( 15 oz) washed and drained
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce or to taste
- 1 teaspoon corn flour (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup parsely, finely chopped
- Lemon juice to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy bottom pot, and add one sprig rosemary (optional), celery, onion and carrot. Saute on medium-high flame until soft and golden brown.
- Add chopped garlic, red chili flakes, and Italian seasoning and saute for a minute
- Add the bell pepper, zucchini, tomato, pinch of salt and tomato paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes. If using the rosemary, remove it now.
- Add a bay leaf, vegetable broth, water, crushed black pepper and salt to taste. Scrape the bottom and mix all the ingredients.
- Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer for about 15 minutes. After the soup is simmered for 15 minutes, you can add one teaspoon of corn flour mixed with little water to the soup. Cook for another 5 minutes. Corn flour will thicken the soup.
- Add the washed and drained pinto beans to the soup.
- Add some hot sauce or sambal oelek or chili garlic sauce and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Finally add parsley and a squeeze of lime juice.
- Discard the bay leaf and serve it hot.
Notes
Adjust the amount of water depending on how thick you like the soup.
If you don't have vegetable broth, add water and simmer it for few more minutes.
For more flavor, adjust the seasoning.
To get Indian Flavors- skip Italian seasoning add add cumin powder and garam masala.