Navy Bean and Sweet Red Pepper Soup

We made it to the end of the Vegan Month of Food!  As I forewarned, I'm ending the month with a simple soup recipe.

Navy Bean and Red Pepper Soup

 The quinoa sprinkled on top is a silly share of the spicy quinoa I ate on the side.

Earlier this week I was planning my work lunches and found myself with a few leftover veggies looking to be used, basic spices and frozen navy beans (which are not blue, fyi)  that I'd cooked a couple months before.

It being the end of the pay period and me buying cheap, I wanted to use what I had on hand and with rainy season upon Portland, some hodgepodge soup was delivered.  

Please note that this recipe was simply feeding me, so double if you want more soup.  

Ingredients:

4 cloves of purple garlic, minced

1/2 small, sweet yellow onion, chopped

1 German butterball potato, peeled and diced

1 sweet Italian red pepper

1.5- 2 cups of navy beans

2 cups of vegetable broth (or more, depending on what you like)

good pinch of white pepper

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon of oregano

pinch of crumbled thyme

1/2 teaspoon of savory seasoning mix or other dried herbs - I used Spike salt-free seasoning salt - I've had it for years!

dash of paprika

dash of crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons olive oil

Let's have a go at Instructions:

It's easy.

-Add the oil to the saucepan and put the heat on medium.  I have an electric stove and this is really low-medium for me, so be careful not to burn anything and heat as you reasonably like.

-Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring often.

-Add the chopped potato and red pepper.  Stir and cook another 5-7 minutes.

-Add the garlic, salt, pepper and spices, cook for another couple minutes, stirring frequently.  

-Add the broth and stir once.  Bring to a boil and decrease the heat to low.  

-Add the beans - frozen or defrosted, cover, and let sit for 25-30 minutes, however long you like.

-Stir occasionally.

-Puree to desired consistency.  I'm not about to eat an onion chunk, so I smoothed things out in my Magic Bullet blender in two batches.  

-Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

-Eat in a mug with a spoon.  

Take that, cold and rainy day in Portland!! 

I personally really like how the creamy butterball meets bland bean and sweet pepper in this.  I ate it and thought "Man, I don't even want to put hot sauce in this!"