Today’s recipe is for my vegetarian Wednesday. In case you want some meat, there is an add-on in the end of the recipe to do that, too. You will need:

1/3 Cup or 75 Grams Uncooked White Beans
9 Baby Carrots
1 Scallion
1 Pepper
Pinch of Vegeta
Pinch of Black Pepper
Pinch of Paprika
Sprinkle of Mint
1 Spoon of Olive Oil

 

Meat add-on

1 Beef or Pork Sausage

This recipe is one of the oldest recipes for a meal from back home. It is such a “secret” that a company that sells bags of White Beans has written a recipe for making a baked version of this meal. One day I’ll post that version, too, but for now I give you my favorite, the soupy way of making White Beans.

First thing I need to warn you is that this meal is a little time consuming, but totally worth it for many reasons. Besides being delicious, this meal is a great vegan option with high protein. Yes, beans are great vegetarian source of protein and great for the health of your digestive tract.

 

To start this meal, fill a pot with 3 cups of water and add the Beans. Put the pot on the stove and let it boil. In 5 minutes, after the water has started boiling, turn it off. Take a drainer and throw the water away. Pour 3 cups of fresh new water and put the pot back on the stove, this time to very low fire. The reasons you do this to reduce the gasiness that the beans cause naturally. Some people soak the beans in cold water overnight for the same effect, but I find this to be more time consuming to already long meal.

Once you’ve put the pot with new water and beans on the stove, chop the pepper, scallion and baby carrots and add them to the soup. Also add the spoon of Olive Oil and all of the spices like Vegeta, Black Pepper, Paprika, and my favorite for this meal, Mint. I usually sprinkle a lot of Mint because its sweetness counters the savory taste of everything else.

Here comes the long part. You need to leave all this simmering on low fire for two and a half to three hours. If the temperature is too high, the water will boil and there will be bubbles on the whole surface of the pot.

This will result in the water evaporating fast. However, beans need to cook longer to fully soften and be edibly crunch free, therefore, they should be cooked on low fire. If only one spot in your pot is making bubbles, you are on the right temperature. If after two and a half hours you can break down any bean with a fork easily, the meal is ready.