Vegetarian 15 Bean Soup

Instructions

1. 1

   The night before, place the beans in a large bowl and add cool water until the beans are covered by twice their volume. Let the beans soak overnight or for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator.

2. 2

   When you're ready to begin cooking, drain the beans in a colander and rinse them well with fresh water. Set the beans aside so they can begin to warm up.

3. 3

   Mince the garlic and dice the onion. Add the garlic, onion, and coconut oil to a large soup pot. Sauté over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes or until the onions are soft and transparent.

4. 4

   While the onion and garlic are sautéing, dice the celery and carrot. Once the onions have softened, add the carrot and celery to the pot and sauté for about 5 minutes more, or just until the celery starts to soften.

5. 5

   Add the beans to the pot along with 6 cups of water, and stir to combine. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring it up to a boil. Once it reaches a rolling boil, turn the heat down to low or medium-low, and let the beans simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. 6

   After 90 minutes, the beans should be quite soft and have broken down a bit, causing the water to look slightly thick and cloudy. Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and parsley to the pot. Stir to combine, then let the soup simmer for another 20 minutes.

7. 7

   Taste the soup and add salt to taste (I added 5 tsp). Finally, stir in the apple cider vinegar. Keep in mind that as the soup is stored in the refrigerator, the salt may absorb into the beans and taste more muted. You may need to add more salt the next day.