In an attempt to try and use my Sprouted Bean Trio, I came upon this recipe for soup. Spring has finally arrived, but we had a few cold/rainy days a couple of weeks ago, so I made soup for lunch.

Sprouted Bean Trio Italian Soup (adapted from truRoots)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil (or coconut oil)
½ medium onion, finely diced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
One 14-ounce can Organic diced tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes, chopped
3 ½ cups water or broth
1 bay leaf
1 cup truRoots Sprouted Bean Trio, uncooked
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook, partially covered, until softened, about 10 minutes.

Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.

Stir in water/broth and bay leaf and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the beans. Reduce the heat and simmer 5-10 minutes, until the beans are tender. Cover and let stand for 2 minutes.

Stir in the parsley and salt and pepper before serving. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Thoughts:

I like this soup, but not as much as my husband. He is more of a “soup” person than I am. The tomatoes added a strong base flavor. I thought of adding the Parmesan for something extra, and it went really well with it. I used chicken stock instead of water, and I think using water would be too bland. Overall, I would make it again, next time using fresh tomatoes instead of canned, and more cheese! When I reheated it for leftovers I enjoyed it more. Maybe it was the whole wheat roll hot out of the oven that I enjoyed . . . but either way, it was a very hearty and tasty soup.