Bean soup: recipes of Russian and national cuisine

Bean soup is a hearty, nutritious first course. The recipe for bean soup can be found on the menu of almost every nation in the world. Bean soups will pleasantly surprise you with a variety of options! They are able to saturate the body no worse than any meat dish, while all the vitamins and beneficial elements are preserved in the beans even after heat treatment. Nutritionists recommend including this product in any form in your diet at least once a week. For example, make bean soup; this is an ideal dish for those who are watching their weight and love to eat delicious food. Today we will tell you how delicious and easy it is to prepare bean soup.

Tips and Tricks

When preparing bean soup, you need to consider the following nuances:

1. To cook the beans faster, add salt to the soup only forty minutes after boiling.
2. When pouring water into the product, you need to take into account that it swells. Accordingly, you need a lot of water. Recommended proportion is 1:3.
3. The water must be changed at least three times during soaking.
4. To reduce foam when cooking soup, you need to pour a spoonful of refined oil into the pan.
5. There is no need to cover the soup when cooking, otherwise the beans will darken.
6. If the cooking liquid has evaporated to a critical level, it is permissible to add water, but only hot water.

Knowing how to properly cook bean soup, you can prepare a very tasty and satisfying dish based on different recipes.

Is it worth it to soak beans at all?

The peculiarity of preparing any dish from dry beans is that they must first be soaked for several hours. This is an important rule that will allow you to prepare not only a tasty, but also a healthy dish, without unpleasant consequences. All harmful substances will go into the water, including complex sugars, which make it difficult to process the beans, causing discomfort.

First, you need to thoroughly rinse the beans, sort them, and remove wrinkled and damaged beans. Now you can move on to soaking. There are two ways to do this.

The first method is long-term soaking. Place the beans in a large container and fill with water. Let it stand for 8–10 hours (less is possible, you should be guided by the beans - they should increase 2–3 times). During this time, you need to drain the water several times. If you soaked it overnight, add soda to the liquid at the rate of 0.5 teaspoon per 0.5 liter to prevent the liquid from souring.

• Prolonged soaking destroys the oligosaccharides contained in the beans, which cause gas formation.
• the beans do not burst during the cooking process, which is important if you are preparing bean soup;
• the taste of the finished beans, which were soaked in this way, has a more pronounced and delicate taste.
• you need to plan the preparation of the dish;
• labor-intensive process - you need to change the water;
• Soaking causes the beans to discolor.

The second method is quick soaking. Pour the washed beans into a large saucepan, add water in a ratio of 1 to 3, bring the liquid to a boil and turn off the gas. Let stand in hot water for 1 hour. After this, continue cooking.

Advantage of the method : fast, no need to plan the preparation of the dish in advance.

• beans often burst;
• the taste is not as rich as beans that have been soaked for a long time (but they absorb the aromas of spices better).

If you plan to cook the dish for a long time - about 4 hours, then you can skip soaking altogether. But you will have to cook on low heat, making sure that the liquid does not escape.

Red beans can also be cooked without soaking, and to speed up the process, you need to add 1 tablespoon of cold water to the pan every 5 minutes. As a result, it will be ready in about 2 hours. Canned beans are only washed.

After soaking, the beans are ready for further cooking.

Canned and green beans do not need pre-soaking.

Classic recipe: simple and tasty

Ingredients for a classic first course of beans:

• white beans - 350 g;
• potatoes - 500 g;
• onion - 150 g;
• meat/chicken broth - 1l;
• tomato paste - 80 g;
• salt;
• spices;
• fresh dill - 5 g;
• fresh parsley - 5 g;
• refined oil.

Vegetable White Bean Soup Recipe:

1. The evening before cooking, sort out the beans and soak in cold water.
2. Pour the broth into a large saucepan or saucepan. Place on the stove. Wait until it boils. During this time, drain the water from the beans. Rinse and add to boiling broth. Cook for 45 minutes.
3. Cut the processed, washed potatoes into small cubes. Process the onion and cut into medium cubes. Process the carrots, rinse and chop finely.
4. Heat refined oil in a frying pan. Add onion, cook for two minutes. Then add carrots to the onions. Cook for 5 minutes. The carrots should be soft.
5. Add tomato paste to the pan. Add salt and add your favorite spices if desired. You don’t need to add a lot - it will “kill” the taste of the beans. Mix the contents of the pan well. Cook for 5 minutes over moderate heat.
6. After half an hour from the start of cooking the beans, add the potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes. After this, add the sautéed vegetables to the saucepan. Stir and cook for twenty minutes.
7. Rinse the greens thoroughly. Finely chop and add to the soup 5 minutes before the end of cooking.
8. Remove the finished soup from the stove. Let it brew for a few minutes. Pour into plates and serve with sour cream.

Step-by-step photo recipe:

This recipe can be called dietary if prepared with chicken broth or without meat at all. It is permissible to reduce the amount of potatoes.

Useful tips

• White and red beans should not be salted before cooking. Otherwise the finished product will be tough.
• Beans cooked until half cooked can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days, but in the freezer - about 6 months.
• If using beans from a can, they do not need to be pre-processed.
• The product can be used to prepare various dishes. It is combined with garlic, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and various herbs.

Bon appetit!

Italian soup

Ingredients:

• white beans in their own juice - 150 g;
• green beans - 350 g;
• garlic - 5 g;
• olive oil - 50 ml;
• tomato juice - 650 ml;
• tomatoes in their own juice - can (400 g);
• any pasta - 250 g;
• green onions (feathers only) - 10 g.

Preparation:

1. Cook green beans in boiling water for fifteen minutes.
2. Process onions and garlic. Cut the onion into small cubes. Chop the garlic into crumbs with a knife. Simmer in the saucepan in which the soup will be prepared.
3. Pour tomato juice into the saucepan.
4. Add the tomatoes in their own juice, after pureeing them in a blender or crushing them with a fork. Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer for a quarter of an hour.
5. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente.
6. Cut the green onions with splitters 1.5-2 centimeters wide.
7. Drain the green beans in a colander. Throw in white beans and pasta.
8. Then pour the entire contents of the colander into the soup.
9. Add some salt and pepper. You can add a little sugar (optional). Wait until it boils.
10. Remove the saucepan from the stove. Infuse the soup with beans for a quarter of an hour. During this time, the pasta will be ready. It is recommended to serve the dish sprinkled with Parmesan and sour cream.

How to cook with other types of beans

With red

Products:

• chicken thighs - 150 g;
• red beans - 165 g;
• potatoes - 600 g;
• carrots - 100 g;
• onion - 120 g;
• refined oil - 75 ml;
• tomato paste - 70 g;
• green onions - 10 g;
• parsley - 35 g;
• dill - 15 g;
• bay leaf - leaf;
• ground black pepper;
• ground chili pepper;
• salt;
• freeze-dried garlic - 1 g.

Here's how to make red bean soup:

1. Soak red beans in cold water for at least eight hours. If you wish, you can take a carbonated mineral water.
2. Place chicken thighs in a saucepan. Pour in cold water so that it completely covers the product.
3. Boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to moderate. Place washed dill, parsley, bay leaf, and green onions in a saucepan. Pepper and cook for half an hour, regularly skimming off the foam. Then remove the greens with a slotted spoon.
4. Pour beans into the saucepan. Cook until it becomes soft, add salt.
5. Finely chop the processed, washed onion. Process the carrots and rinse. Cut into small cubes.
6. Sauté onions and carrots in hot refined oil. Add tomato paste to vegetables. You can use any tomato sauce instead of pasta.
7. Cut the processed, washed potatoes into small cubes. Add to soup and cook for 10 minutes.
8. Add sautéed vegetables to the soup. Then chop the chicken legs and place in a saucepan.
9. Add chili pepper and freeze-dried garlic. Turn off the stove and leave the pan on for 10 minutes.
10. Ladle the red bean soup into bowls. Sprinkle with chopped herbs and serve with sour cream.

Step-by-step preparation in the photo:

With canned

Products:

• onion - 120 g;
• carrots - 100 g;
• canned beans - can (400 g);
• potatoes - 650 g;
• salt;
• pepper;
• refined oil.

Recipe for soup with canned beans:

1. Cut the processed and washed potatoes into small cubes. Throw it into boiling water. Wait until the product is ready.
2. Process onions and carrots. Wash and finely chop. Sauté in refined oil.
3. Pour the beans and the liquid from the jar into the saucepan with the potatoes. Add sautéed vegetables. Add some salt and pepper. Reduce heat to moderate and cook for a quarter of an hour.
4. Remove from heat and leave for five minutes. Serve the dish on the table, sprinkled with chopped herbs and sour cream.

From frozen

Products:

• water - 3 l;
• potatoes - 800 g;
• carrots - 100 g;
• onion - 120 g;
• refined oil - 75 ml;
• pork/beef - 250 g;
• frozen beans - 200 g;
• salt;
• pepper;
• greenery
• bay leaf - 3 leaves

Recipe:

1. Process potatoes and carrots, rinse.
2. Cut the processed onion into half-straws and the carrot into slices.
3. Heat refined oil in a saucepan. Sauté onions and carrots in it.
4. Pour water into the saucepan. Place the prepared meat, cut into cubes. Add potatoes, cut into medium cubes.
5. Add frozen beans to the soup and bring to a boil.
6. Next, the fire must be reduced to moderate. Cook for forty minutes.
7. When there are ten minutes left until the end of cooking, you need to add sauté to the soup. Salt, pepper, add bay leaf.
8. A few minutes before the end of cooking, add finely chopped herbs. Remove the soup from the stove. Leave for at least a quarter of an hour.
9. It is recommended to serve with sour cream.

How to cook beans

After soaking, drain the water and rinse the swollen beans under running water. Then place it in a large saucepan and add water so that it completely covers the beans. Bring the water to a boil and add a tablespoon of sunflower or olive oil to reduce foam.

Simmer the beans over low heat. You may need to add water to the pan from time to time during the cooking process. Depending on the type of beans, their shelf life and water hardness, the cooking time can range from 0.5 to 2.5 hours.

There is no need to stir during cooking, and the pan does not need to be covered with a lid.

To know if it's ready, mash one piece with a fork or your fingers. Ideally, the beans should be soft, but not mushy. If the beans are still crunchy, then leave them to cook further and check for doneness every 10 minutes.

With meat (beef)

Products:

• beef (pulp) - 300 g;
• white beans - 600 g;
• white onion - 250 g;
• tomato paste - 70 g;
• garlic - 15 g;
• mustard seeds - 10 g;
• potatoes - 500 g;
• raw smoked bacon - 150 g
• salt;
• spices.

Recipe with meat:

1. Process onions and garlic. Sauté in hot oil in a frying pan.
2. Pour mustard seeds and processed, cut meat into a frying pan.
3. Cook the contents of the pan over low heat for half an hour, stirring regularly.
4. Then add tomato paste. Pour in water (liter) and boil. After boiling, add beans to the pan, draining the liquid first. Add salt, add processed, cut into cubes potatoes. Cook for half an hour.
5. Cut the bacon into small slices. Fry until crispy in another pan without oil.
6. Remove the finished bean soup from the stove. Leave for five minutes. When serving, place bacon on each plate and pour in soup. It is recommended to serve with white croutons and sour cream.

How to cook in a slow cooker

Ingredients:

• beans - 250 g;
• fresh tomatoes - 120 g;
• carrots - 100 g;
• onion - 120 g;
• potatoes - 150 g;
• pork/beef - 350 g;
• parsley;
• dill;
• salt;
• pepper;
• refined oil.

Preparation:

1. Process onions and carrots. Cut into medium cubes.
2. Set the multicooker to the “Frying” mode. Pour refined oil into the multicooker bowl. When it's hot, add the onions and carrots into the bowl.
3. Cook vegetables for five minutes. Stir regularly.
4. Finely chop the washed tomato. Add to vegetables, stir.
5. Change the mode from “Frying” to “Stewing”. Cook the contents for ten minutes.
6. During this time, you need to process the meat. Cut into a wedge and add to the vegetables.
7. Next, pour the beans into the bowl. Stir, cook for 5 minutes.
8. During this time, cut the processed potatoes into small cubes. Add to bowl.
9. Add salt, pepper and stir.
10. Pour in water. If you need to get a thick soup, you should not add more than a liter of water.
11. Change the mode again from “Stew” to “Soup”. Close the lid. If the multicooker is on low power, cook for an hour. If high, half an hour is enough.
12. When there are ten minutes left before the end of the process, add finely chopped greens to the bean soup and stir.
13. It is recommended to serve with cheese croutons and sour cream.

How to cook puree soup

Products:

• beans - 350 g;
• celery (stem) - 350 g;
• carrots - 100 g;
• salt;
• caraway;
• refined oil - 30 ml.

Preparation of dietary soup (without meat and potatoes):

1. Soak the beans in cold water for at least ten hours. Then boil it for an hour and a half until fully cooked.
2. Process the carrots. Grind with a coarse grater. Pour refined oil into a saucepan. Heat it up. Saute the carrots for five minutes.
3. Cut the celery into thin slices. Add to the saucepan, cook for five minutes.
4. Then pour the beans into the pan. Pour in the water in which the beans were cooked.
5. Cook the soup for a quarter of an hour over low heat.
6. Remove the pan from the stove. Punch with an immersion blender. Consistency: puree.
7. Add cumin. If desired, you can add a little cream. Pour the soup into the pan, return to the stove, and boil.

Harira - Moroccan soup

Products:

• lamb (shoulder on the bone) - 350 g;
• chickpeas - 120 g;
• brown lentils/beans;
• short grain rice;
• sweet pepper - 175 g;
• celery - 4 stalks;
• onion - 400 g;
• overripe tomatoes - 450 g;
• olive oil - 60 ml;
• ginger (root) - 15 g;
• cinnamon - 5 g;
• hot paprika - 5 g;
• cumin - 5 g;
• coriander - 5 g;
• saffron/turmeric - a pinch;
• chili pepper - half a pod;
• celery (greens);
• parsley (greens);
• cilantro;
• lemon.

Recipe for delicious Moroccan bean soup:

1. The chickpeas must be covered with water and left overnight.
2. In the morning, drain the water. Rinse the chickpeas under cold water. Transfer to a saucepan. Pour in water and place on the stove. Boil, skim off the foam, cook over medium heat for an hour.
3. Cut the processed lamb into small cubes.
4. Finely chop the processed onions and vegetables. Fry with meat and spices in hot oil. Add to the pan with the chickpeas.
5. While the soup is cooking, you should sauté the vegetables. Grind the spices with salt in a mortar.
6. Finely chop the onion, parika, celery and chili.
7. Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Sauté vegetables in it. Fire is moderate. Sauteing time is ten minutes. Add finely chopped tomatoes.
8. When the chickpeas have cooked for forty minutes, add the beans/lentils. Cook for another twenty minutes.
9. Add vegetable sauté to the soup. Cook for a quarter of an hour. Then add salt and pepper.
10. At the very end of cooking, add finely chopped herbs to the soup.
11. When serving the dish, add a slice of lemon to each plate.

Methods for preparing bean soup in a slow cooker

Bean soup with ribs

Products

• Pork ribs: 250 g.
• Small potatoes: 5–6 pcs.
• Carrots: 1–2 pcs.
• Onions: 1 pc.
• Beans: 1 cup.
• Tomato sauce: 2 tbsp. l.
• Fresh or salted lard: 50 g.
• Garlic: 2 cloves.
• Greens: 1–2 tbsp. l. (parsley, dill, celery, basil).
• Water: 6–7 glasses.
• Salt: ½ tsp.

How to cook

Pour hot water over the beans and leave for 6-7 hours. Cut the lard into small cubes, then fry in the BAKE mode for 10 minutes. Rinse the ribs, then separate them from each other. Fry the ribs along with lard in the BAKE mode for 20 minutes. Coarsely grate the carrots. Finely chop the onion. Add onions and carrots to the ribs and fry in BAKING mode for 10 minutes. Cut the potatoes into cubes. Add potatoes to the ribs and fry in BAKE mode for 10 minutes. Add beans. Add water. Add salt, tomato sauce. Cook the soup in STEW mode for 60 minutes. 10 minutes before the end of the program, finely grate the garlic and herbs.

How to save time

Instead of lard, you can take ready-made pork fat or refined vegetable oil in the amount of 2 tbsp. l. You can use canned beans. It must be washed thoroughly. Instead of fresh garlic, you can use ready-made granulated garlic - 1 tsp.

If you need the soup to be less spicy, reduce the amount of garlic to 1 clove or ⅓ tsp. granular Then only the delicious aroma will remain, and the spiciness will go away. It is better to add fresh herbs to the finished soup, and boil dry herbs for 10 minutes, as stated in the recipe.

Soup with beans and smoked meats

Bean soup can be prepared with a variety of ingredients and ingredients. But personally, I really like the combination of beans, tomatoes and a slight smoked flavor. In order to achieve this effect, you need to add salami or any other raw smoked sausage, as well as bacon, smoked brisket or other smoked meats to your taste.

Cooking time: 3 hours Number of servings: 6

Compound:

• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 potato tubers
• 250 g smoked meats (sausages, ham, brisket, etc.)
• 1 can canned red beans
• 20 ml vegetable oil 1 tbsp. l. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• Chopped greens for serving
• Salt

For the broth:

• 400 g beef
• 1.5 liters of water
• Parsley root
• 1 carrot
• 3 bay leaves
• 5–6 black peppercorns
• Salt

Preparation:

1. Cook the meat broth in the “Stew” mode. Strain, then return to the cleaned multicooker bowl, adding salt to taste.
2. Peel the onions and carrots, cut into thin strips (the carrots can be grated). Cut the potatoes into cubes. Cut smoked meats into small slices or strips. Drain liquid from beans.
3. Sauté onions and carrots in vegetable oil until soft.
4. Place the roast, potatoes, smoked meats and beans in a bowl with broth, add tomato paste and dried basil. Cook in the “Stew” mode for 1 hour. At the end of cooking, add salt to taste. When serving, sprinkle with herbs.

Soup with beans and bell pepper

Ingredients:

• 300 g beef,
• 100 g white beans,
• 3 potatoes,
• 1 onion,
• 1 carrot,
• 1 bell pepper (small),
• 1 bay leaf,
• 1 tablespoon olive oil,
• 3–4 liters of water,
• spices (any),
• parsley,
• salt.

Preparation:

Soak the main ingredient for 1 hour in cold water. Cut the meat into small portions. Peel the vegetables. Cut carrots, onions and potatoes into small pieces. Pour oil into the multicooker pan, add onions and carrots, then fry in the “Baking” mode for 15 minutes. When the mode is completed, add meat, potatoes, beans, water, salt, pepper, spices (any), bay leaf, turn on the “Stew for 90 minutes” mode. After completing the regime, let the soup brew a little. Garnish the finished soup with chopped parsley.