15-Bean Soup

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 120 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4 Servings

I’m what you would call a soup lady. I run an underground vegan soup club in Seattle, and wrote a cookbook entitled Soup Club. I like soup — a lot. So when the pandemic hit this spring and all the beans I usually use in my soups suddenly became sparse, I was forced to get creative with whatever was available at the grocery store.

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds mixed dried beans, 1 (20-ounce) bag 15-Bean Soup (seasoning packet discarded)
1 large yellow onion
1 large green bell pepper
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
4 dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 cup olive oil
3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups water
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, plus more as needed

Instructions

5-ounce) can diced tomatoes and their juices. Cover and bring to a boil.Uncover, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. Increase the heat to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the broth has reduced to a thicker consistency, about 15 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Taste and season with more salt and vinegar as needed.