Bean Soup

bean soup recipe with step by step pictures

This soup is super yummy.

It’s one of my all-time favorites, actually. This one and a wonderful lentil soup that I am going to prepare for you soon as well.

The vivid and optimistic colors of this soup are a pleasure to look at and its high content of vitamins and fiber means that this gorgeous soup is a powerful health bomb.

Your body will be thankful if you make it.

bean soup recipe with step by step pictures, ingredients

These are the ingredients.

 

I’d like to let you know that if you don’t have or can’t find parsley root anywhere there’s no need to pull out your hair. You can replace it with about 3 tablespoons of chopped leaf parsley.

Also the celery root (celeriac) can be replaced with about 3-4 chopped celery stalks.

No problem at all.

bean soup recipe with step by step pictures, rinse the bean, place them in a large bowl and cover with four time their volume of water, leave the beans to soak, drain the soaking water and rinse

1. To prepare your own delicious bean soup, first rinse the beans, place them in a large bowl and cover with four times their volume of water. Leave the beans to soak for at least 6-8 hours, overnight is even better.

 

2. When the beans are soaked, drain the soaking water and rinse them.

 

 

bean soup recipe with step by step pictures, place the beans into a large pot and add water

3. Place the beans into a large pot and add 5 cups (1.25 l) water.

 

 

bean soup recipe with step by step pictures, add bay leaves and salt

4. Then add 2 bay leaves and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

 

 

5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and let cook for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until beans are tender.

The length of this process also depends on the variety of beans you are using. The larger the beans the longer the cooking time. I was using large red beans and they needed about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

 

6. When the beans are cooked remove the bay leaves.

 

 

bean soup recipe with step by step pictures, vegetables, celery root, onion, parsley root, carrot, potato, garlic cloves

7. In the meantime (while the beans are cooking), you can prepare your vegetables.

What we have here is the celery root, onion (I am using shallots here because life gets interesting sometimes and you might not find onions in your fridge but you don’t give up on your dream anyway), parsley root, carrot, potato and garlic cloves.

 

 

bean soup recipe with step by step pictures, cleaned, sliced, chopped, diced vegetables

8. Here are the vegetables again. This time nicely cleaned and sliced, chopped and diced.

The celery and the potato were diced.

The carrot and parsley root were cut in half lengthwise and then sliced into little crescents.

The garlic was sliced and the shallots were chopped finely.

 

 

bean soup recipe with step by step pictures, pour the olive oil into a large pot and heat it until hot

9. Now pour the olive oil into a large pot and heat it until hot.

 

 

bean soup recipe with step by step pictures, add the vegetables

10. Add the vegetables (except the garlic).

 

11. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook your vegetable mixture over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

 

bean soup recipe with step by step pictures, add the ground cumin, chili powder, and garlic, cook

12. Add the ground cumin, chili powder, and garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

 

 

bean soup recipe with step by step pictures, add the beans

13. Then add the beans along with their cooking liquid, …

 

 

bean soup recipe with step by step pictures, add the chicken stock

14. … the chicken stock …

 

 

bean soup recipe with step by step pictures, add the lemon juice, simmer

15. … and the lemon juice.

 

16. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until all vegetables are soft.

 

 

bean soup recipe with step by step pictures

And serve.

I like to eat this soup as is or with slices of fresh bread.

It’s so good!

Enjoy, dear friends!

 

(This soup makes 8 cups/2 l and serves 6 hungry people.)

Tuna Sandwich

tuna sandwich recipe with step-by-step images

I’ve been carrying an idea to prepare a tuna sandwich in my head for quite some time.

Cause I love tuna.

It’s my favorite fish of them all.

Maybe because that’s the only one I eat, actually.

 

Anyway, recently, when making this delish Potato Soup, I ended up with one unused celery root and was looking for a dish that would incorporate it somehow.

Things have come full circle when one of the first recipes that I came across was actually for a Tuna Sandwich.

There was no question about the celery root any more.

Task completed.

Case solved.

What needs to be done, has to be done.

 

When I searched some more I also found out that people have produced about a zillion Tuna Sandwich recipes throughout the history.

It looks like it’s some kind of a popular ritual that we all share and enjoy.

Okay folks, I wanna play this game too and this is my addition…

tuna sandwich recipe with step-by-step images

Please, meet the ingredients.

They are yummy.

tuna sandwich recipe with step-by-step images

Let’s start with this handsome buddy, if you don’t mind.

It’s a celery root aka celeriac.

I write about its life story and why it needs your love here.

tuna sandwich recipe with step-by-step images

1. Slice off the skin of the root, wash it and grate it finely.

tuna sandwich recipe with step-by-step images

Like this.

tuna sandwich recipe with step-by-step images

2. Grab one half of red onion and chop it.

It will add a wonderful taste and also a wonderful color to the salad.

tuna sandwich recipe with step-by-step images

3. Let the onion and the celery make friends in a larger bowl.

tuna sandwich recipe with step-by-step images

4. Now break the Chinese cabbage into individual leaves, wash them and drain them.

tuna sandwich recipe with step-by-step images

5. Slice the leaves into thin strips, leaving out the firmer parts.

And I don’t mean fingers here.

Which you should of course leave out.
tuna sandwich recipe with step-by-step images

6. Then chop the cabbage even more finely and add it into the bowl.

tuna sandwich recipe with step-by-step images

7. Drain the tuna and throw it in too.

tuna sandwich recipe with step-by-step images

8. And now the best part (for some of us) – add nice eight heaping tablespoons of mayo.

That amount might sound a little devilish, I agree.

But consider that we are making a lot of sandwiches here – about ten – so it’s kinda all right.

Right?

Are you with me?
tuna sandwich recipe with step-by-step images

9. Season it with the Worcestershire sauce and mix until combined.

 

10. And then taste it and add some salt if you wish to.

tuna sandwich recipe with step-by-step images

11. Spread the newly made salad mixture on a bread slice and top with another slice of bread.

tuna sandwich recipe with step-by-step images

Then have a bite and enter heaven instantly.

It’s beyond delicious!

Enjoy, dear friends.

(This recipe feeds one smaller army – it makes about 10 sandwiches.)

Please, Love Me!

Hi!

I am a Celery Root.

Please, don’t get scared.

I know some roots look much more glamorous than me.

To defend myself let me just say that it’s not easy to grow down there, in the dark soil, with no light at all, not being able to see what you are growing into.

Well, I’ve produced this look.

Once a worm visited me and uttered that I was SO beautiful.

And then they dig you out of the ground and to your sheer horror you find out…

Ugh, never mind.
 
 

Okay, so my beauty is rather unconventional.

But once you slice off my knobby skin, smooth and ivory flesh will surprise you.
 
 

Whether raw or cooked, my taste is unique and subtle.

Much more subtle than the taste of the stalks I was nourishing.

I am also a nutritional goldmine – high in vitamin C, calcium and iron, with lots and lots of beneficial fiber at your service.

Petra said she would turn me into a wonderful Tuna Sandwich.

I love that idea!
 

So can I get a little of your love now?
 

Potato Soup with Celery and Basil

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

When summer comes to an end and the first signs of fall start to show I begin to think differently.

All that my brain is able to come up with is dreaming about large, comfy sofas, soft, cuddly blankets, great books to read, heart-touching movies to watch and – AND – warm cups of soup to eat.

(And, pssst, mulled wine, too.)

For me, that is perfection.

And because I’m not only a hermit but also a photography freak, I’ll be showing you all the yummy soups and all the other comfort dishes that this magical season inspires me to prepare.

Please don’t you get scared by the words ‘hermit’ and ‘freak’ that I’ve just used in the previous sentence.

I don’t really mean them literally.

Hm.

But you know what?

I think I do…

I think I do mean them literally.

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

These are the ingredients that I’ve gathered to prepare this wonderful soup.

The soup is thick, flavorful, comforting, soul-warming and satisfying – who on Earth would be able to say no to that?

I ask.
Would you like to see how I made it?

Well, come and have a look – I’ll be more than happy to show you!

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

1. First, peel, wash and dice up the potatoes.

To dice the potatoes, cut them in half, then place each half face down on your cutting board and slice it into half again horizontally. Continue and cut it into strips lengthwise and, holding the strip together, slice across them to achieve these cute little dices.

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

2. Throw the potato dices into a pot.

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

3. Wash and slice the celery stalks.

Please, please, don’t omit these. You’ll be amazed by how much flavor they add to the soup. They pretty much make up for the homely feeling that this soup delivers.

And if you happen to buy celery stalks along with the root, just like I did, then you can use the root in this delicious Tuna Sandwich.

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

4. Grab the onion, peel it and chop it finely.

Chop, chop, chop.

A yellow nail polish is not necessary in the whole process, though it might help a little. I just don’t now how yet.

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

5. Add the onions and the celery to the pot.

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

6. Peel the garlic cloves and press them into the pot.

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

7. These are basil leaves.

I’ve bought a basil plant recently and can’t get enough of it.

There’s nothing like the smell of fresh basil – it is strong and sweet and bright. And that brightness exactly works perfectly in thick soups to ‘lift’ and balance the taste.

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

8. Finally, add the chicken broth and place the pot over medium heat.

Let cook until all the ingredients are soft – this process should take about 15 minutes.

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

9. In the meantime, in a saucepan or a pan, melt the butter.

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

10. When the melted butter starts to sizzle, stir in the flour to make a roux.

Cook the roux for a minute or two, stirring every few seconds so it doesn’t brown.

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

11. Pour in milk at once while stirring.

Continue to heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or a whisk, until the milk mixture is thick and bubbly.

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

12. Using an immersion blender, carefully process the potato-vegetable mixture in the pot until the mixture is smooth.

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

13. Pour thickened milk mixture into the potato mixture.

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

14. And give it all one more stir.

If the mixture is very thick, add additional broth till desired consistency is reached.

Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper to adjust.

potato soup with celery and basil recipe with step-by-step images

This is beyond delicious.

Try it, you’ll be happy.

Enjoy, dear friends.

Love,

Petra

(This recipe was adapted from Eat Real.)

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