17-Bean and Barley Soup

⏱ 85 mins 🍽 8 serving(s) 🏷 Beans

This recipe recreates a popular packaged soup mix using a blend of 17 different beans, lentils, and pearl barley. The beans are prepared using a quick soak method before being simmered with a classic mirepoix of onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper in a rich vegetable or chicken broth. Roasted tomatoes and Italian herbs add depth of flavour, resulting in a thick, satisfying soup perfect for a nourishing meal. The versatile mix can also be stored for future use or given as a gift.

17-Bean and Barley Soup

Ingredients

  • baby lima beans
  • black turtle beans
  • black-eyed peas
  • dark red kidney beans
  • garbanzo beans
  • great northern bean
  • green lentil
  • split peas
  • 1 large lima beans
  • light red kidney beans
  • navy beans
  • pink beans
  • pinto beans
  • red lentil
  • 1 small red beans
  • 1 small white beans
  • yellow split peas
  • pearl barley
  • 2 cups bean and soup mix
  • 64 ounces vegetable broth (8 cups) or 64 ounces chicken broth (8 cups)
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 1 cup celery, diced (I like to include the leaves for flavor)
  • 1 cup carrot, sliced
  • 1 cup bell pepper, diced (I used red)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 bay leaf (I keep fresh bay leaves in the freezer)
  • 1 teaspoon salt-free Italian herb seasoning
  • 15 ounces roasted tomato puree (diced or pureed) or 1 (15 ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes (diced or pureed)
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Method

  1. To make the soup mix, place roughly three heaped tablespoons of each dried bean and legume into a large bowl and stir them together thoroughly before storing in a sealed container.
  2. Prepare the beans for the soup using the quick soak method by putting the measured bean mix into a large stock pot and covering it with three times its volume of cold water.
  3. Heat the water until it boils, then reduce the heat and let the beans cook without a lid for 2 minutes.
  4. Take the pot off the heat and allow the beans to soak for 1 hour. Once soaked, drain the water and return the beans to the same pot.
  5. For an overnight soak, cover the beans with water and leave them. The next day, drain and rinse them before proceeding to the next step.
  6. Add 4 cups of your chosen broth to the pot containing the drained beans.
  7. In a separate frying pan, gently cook the diced onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning in the olive oil until the vegetables have softened.
  8. Transfer this cooked vegetable mixture and the tomatoes into the pot with the beans and pour in the rest of the broth.
  9. Place a lid on the pot and let the soup simmer for about 1 hour, or until the beans reach your preferred level of tenderness.
  10. Keep an eye on the liquid level while it simmers, adding a little more broth if needed to prevent the soup from becoming too dry.
  11. Finish the soup by seasoning it with salt and black pepper according to your taste.
  12. You may choose to garnish each bowl with a little fresh parsley before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium25300 mg

Recipe details

CategoryBeans
AuthorCOOKGIRl