Bean soup: Start with a pot of beans, Part 3

There were still PLENTY of beans left after the first two dishes this week, but I was in the mood for something a little different.  Looking at the contents of the fridge, I found I had some vegetables that needed using up.  Opportunity.  Plus, the beans were comfortably bathed in lots of good cooking liquid.  Soup, I thought.

What I had on had were some string beans, half a red bell pepper, and some more greens.  I got the string beans and bell pepper going in a saucepan with a little olive oil and garlic, and cooked until they started to soften, about 10 minutes.  To this, I added the beans and bean cooking liquid, and then added another cup or so of water while rinsing out the bean storage container.  This was about right.  Brought that to a boil, and then reduced to a simmer, for another 15 minutes or so.

Just before serving, I added the juice of one and a half limes to the pot, and after spooning the soup into the oversized mug, added a teaspoon or so of zest from the lime.  This gave the whole dish a vaguely Mexican slant.  The soup had earthy notes from the beans, mid-tones from the veggies, and high notes from the lime.  I ate it accompanied by some bread, but serving it over a corn tortilla (or with tortilla strips) would have been entirely appropriate.

See the rest of the series:
Start with a pot of beans
Bean and green saute, with tomatoes and eggs: Start with a pot of beans, Part 2
Bean soup: Start with a pot of beans, Part 3
Into the freezer: Start with a pot of beans, Part 4


And, there's an October blog carnival on -- legumes hosted by Cook Sister inspired by My Legume Love Affair on Well Seasoned Cook.