Beans beans, the magical fruit, the more you eat them, the more you…well you know. 😂 At any rate, though overdoing it with beans may cause an extra bit of flatulence (this is due to the oligosaccharide in the beans, where oligosaccharide is a type of sugar the human body may struggle to digest fully), their general nutritional benefits cannot be ignored! Some of these include:
- Packed with protein and fiber
- Good source of folate and antioxidants
- Great for heart health
- Anti-cancer properties
- Good for helping to maintain blood glucose levels
- Filling and satisfying
- Can aid in preventing fatty liver disease
So, yes, there may be a little extra toots going on every so often with beans , but they also provide plenty of nutrients and healthful benefits…and they. are. so. yummy…especially in this soup!
HEALTHY VEGETABLE AND BEAN SOUP
Ingredients:
- 1 can (organic and BPA free) canellini beans
- 1 can (organic and BPA free) kidney beans
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 2 carrots or 8 baby carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 7 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped
- handful of fresh oregano, chopped
- handful of fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 small tomatoes, chopped (I used 4 plum tomatoes and 4 vine tomatoes)
- 3 cups water
- 1 small zucchini, chopped
- handful of chopped baby spinach leaves
DIRECTIONS:
1.) Chop all your vegetables and fresh herbs. Set aside.
2.) Rinse and drain the beans, and chop your tomatoes. Set aside.
3.) In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, thyme, oregano, rosemary, garlic powder, salt. Cook till veggies are slightly tender – about 5 minutes.
4.) Add the beans, tomatoes, and water. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium/high and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5.) Add the spinach and zucchini. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.
6.) Add additional sea salt and pepper to taste, allow to cool a bit then serve.
Enjoy! 🙂
Loving and Laughing 