Easy Rosemary Bean Soup

Winter weather has officially struck a large part of the country, and I am not pleased.  I hate cold weather.  However, I must say there are a few bonuses to its arrival.  One is soup. There is nothing cozier than putting on your favorite old sweater and fuzzy slippers, and savoring a nice hot bowl of soup.  Especially one that smells this good.  Thank you rosemary!

There are three things I love about this Easy Rosemary Bean Soup.  

1: It is fast!  Unlike many soups or stews that require hours of simmering, this soup is basically ready when you are.  

2: It is healthy!  It is about time I put a healthy recipe on here.  I have been slacking off lately!  This recipe is just beans and veggies.  That means lots of fiber, and not many calories.  And if you've been eating all the desserts I've been posting (which I have!), or sneaking pieces of leftover Halloween candy (which I have!) you could probably use a light meal by now!

3:  It is delicious!  The flavors of the sauteed onions and garlic, the rosemary, and the stewed tomatoes come together to make a soup that will make your taste buds very happy with you.  Trust me, they will think you spent hours.

The only thing I changed when making this recipe is that I actually didn't drain my beans.  I know, I know, every other dietitian on the planet would tell you to drain the beans.  But, the original recipe had you drain the beans, then add water and a bouillon cube.  I didn't have a bouillon cube.  And I have never understood the concept of draining off a salty liquid, then making a salty liquid to season a soup.  Just use what you already have!  Do feel free to get low sodium beans.  Okay, I'm stepping off my soapbox now.  

Easy Rosemary Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, minced or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves

1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans (not drained)

1 (16 oz) can stewed tomatoes, with juice

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook until softened and starting to brown, about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the garlic and rosemary and cook 1 minute more.

Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and a pinch of salt.  Use a potato masher or fork to mash of few of the beans against the sides of the pan.  The more beans you mash, the thicker the soup will be.

Bring the soup to a simmer over high heat, then turn heat down slightly and simmer 3-5 minutes.

Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.  If you prefer a thinner soup, add water.

Serves 2-3.

Recipe adapted from An Edible Mosaic

P.S.  Another great cozy thing is Spiced Apple Cider.  Check out my recipe for Simple Cinnamon Spiced Cider.