Mixed Bean and Vegetable Soup

Mixed bean and vegetable soup is prepared with red kidney beans, white kidney beans, cooked pasta and whole lot of vegetables simmered in tomato pulp. Seasoned with some red chilli flakes, crushed black pepper,chopped garlic and olive oil makes it tasty and irresistible. This dish is a perfect combination of protein, carbohydrates and vitamins and is like a complete meal in itself. My sister’s husband prepares this soup very often. when i visited their place he prepared this healthy soup. It was so yummy that, we all finished it in no time. Now this  is a preferred and regularly prepared soup in our house also. The best part  is whatever available vegetables can be used along with beans to prepare this soup. If you cook kidney beans in advance  and keep ready, it will not take much time to prepare this soup.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 5 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

1. Rajma/ red kidney beans: 1 cup (soaked for 2 hours and cooked soft)
2. Lobia/ white kidney beans: 1 cup( cooked soft)
3. Pasta: 1 cup( cooked and drained)
4. Olive oil: 1 tablespoon
5. Cumin seeds: 1 tablespoon
6. Garlic: 4 to 5 cloves finely chopped
7. Onion: 1 medium sized finely chopped
8. Green chilli: 1 to 2 small sized finely chopped
9. Carrot: 1 medium sized diced
10. French beans: 10 to 12 beans cut into ½ inch pieces
11. Cabbage: ½ cup diced
12. Capsicum: 1/2 medium sized cut into cubes
13. Tomato: 4 to 5 medium sized (pureed)
14. Spinach/ palak: a small bunch finely chopped
15. Salt: 1  teaspoon (according to taste)
16. Red chilli flakes: ½ teaspoon(according to taste)
17. Roasted cumin powder: ½  teaspoon
18. Sugar: ½ teaspoon
19. Coriander leaves: few leaves finely chopped
20. Paneer/ cottage cheese: few cubes for garnishing(optional)

Procedure:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large deep pan and add finely chopped garlic and cumin seeds.
2. Let cumin to crackle and add chopped onion, green chilli and saute for a minute.
3. Add carrot, capsicum,french beans and chopped cabbage and saute for a minute.
4. Add tomato puree and 4 cups of water and mix. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and mix.Bring to a boil.
   

   
5. Cover the pan with a lid and allow to simmer for 15 minutes on a slow flame.
6. Add finely chopped spinach, cooked and drained pasta, red kidney beans, white kidney beans and mix. Allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. If required add some water depending on the preferred consistency.
   

   
7. Add roasted cumin powder, red chilli flakes, ½ teaspoon sugar, finely chopped coriander leaves and mix. Adjust the seasoning.
8. My son wanted to add some  leftover  spinach pakoda into the soup.
9. Seeing his enthusiasm i simply accepted his request and allowed him to add  them into to soup(Some friends came to visit us in the evening. I prepared these spinach pakoda. They were prepared with finely chopped spinach, besan,some spices and deep fried in oil. I will post the detailed recipe later). It is absolutely not a everyday addition. They will absorb the soup and become soft and we liked his experiment! Switch off the flame.
10. Transfer the soup to a serving bowl. Drizzle some olive oil. Put some cubes of paneer or tofu.Sprinkle some red chilli flakes and chopped coriander leaves.
11. Serve tasty and healthy soup along with a garlic bread or bread sticks.

Note:

1. You can also add finely chopped mushroom, zucchini, sweet corn, steamed beetroot, pumpkin or any preferred vegetables.
2. Cooked chickpea/ Kabuli chana can also be added.