Meridian Café's Tomato Bean Soup
15-oz can black beans, undrained
15-oz can, red kidney beans, undrained
15-oz can, pinto beans, undrained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small yellow squash, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 Tbl dried thyme
1 Tbl dried basil
1 Tbl dried sage
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large stock pot, heat oil and add onion, celery, squash and zucchini; cook until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, or until fragrant. (Do not let garlic cook into brown, hard crispy bits — soft, fragrant garlic adds a more pleasant flavor.)
Add diced tomatoes with liquid; cook 30 minutes. Add spices, and cook 10 minutes longer. Purée these ingredients in a blender (in three batches, holding a towel over the top to prevent the liquid from "jumping" out - or use stick blender). Return ingredients to pot. Add beans with liquid and simmer 10 minutes.
Serves 8 to 12.
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