What’s for dinner! Parmesan Pinto Bean Soup!

What’s for dinner! Parmesan Pinto Bean Soup!

One of the questions I get asked a lot is – What are you making for dinner?

Tonight I am making parmesan pinto bean soup – the beans cook all day in the slower cooker or you could put them in the Instant-Pot.  They smell so divine and I often feel like I have eaten a bit already after smelling it all day. Remember when we chop our food and cook at home, the satisfaction area of our brain is activated. Studies show you eat less when you cook your own food rather than eating out.

 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup of dried pinto beans OR any dried white beans
1 box of vegetable broth (preferably low sodium/organic)
1 med onion chopped
1 TSP Olive Oil (you can add more if you want more rich)
2 – 3 carrots chopped
2 – 3 garlic cloves chopped
2 – 3 celery stalks chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 – 2 bay leaves**
1 piece of parmesan rind*
1 large dollop of pesto in jar OR fresh basil OR dried basil

 

 

 

Soak beans overnight OR boil dry beans in water and then turn off the pot and cover for one hour – then drain beans and rinse.
Saute onion, carrots, celery, and garlic for five minutes in olive oil. Add broth, salt, pepper, bay leaves**, and a piece of parmesan rind*. Let cook all day on high/low depending on the hours you have. Really this soup is so delicious the longer it cooks. You might have to thin as beans cooked with some water. Add pesto and fresh basil at the end. Garnish with fresh parmesan and fresh basil if you have.  I usually serve this with a side salad and a piece of dense wheat bread with a smear of avocado and tomato. YUM!

 

 

*My secret soup weapon 🙂 The small addition of parmesan rind adds great flavor to any Italian recipe or soup. You can buy a block of parmesan and cut off the rind OR Whole Foods offers a container for less than $4 of several rinds in the cheese section and it will last in the fridge thru soup season. I use it in my soups all season. You discard the rind before serving soup. Remember if you can’t find parmesan rind* just add some parmesan at the end for taste.

 

 

 

 

** I buy all my spices at Full Circle Market in Winchester. They are organic, fresher, and more affordable than the grocery store! Plus you are supporting a small business! Don’t live nearby – Owner Laura Sheehan ships her goods.  https://www.fullcirclemarket.com/

 

 

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