Hot bean soup with chili pepper!!!

My simple recipe for healthy & hot bean soup

by Eirini Voulgari

Once upon a time bean soup was considered the national dish of Greece only to be replaced by mousakas some decades ago! Beans are very rich in starch of low glycaemic index which gives us energy, in fiber which prevents constipation, in plant proteins and vitamins of the B complex and not only. They also contain precious micronutrients such as potassium, magnesium, folate, iron and zinc as well as lysine, a precious amino acid which is not produced in our organism but is indispensable for the synthesis of proteins in our bodies. 

From a nutritional point of view dry beans can replace meat, fish and dairy. What is more, the daily consumption of dry beans reduces LDL choresterol levels and contributes to the prevention of metabolic syndrome, ischemia and diabetes. See relevant link at the end of this post.
To reduce our electricity or gas bills, and also to save extra cooking time, it is wise to cook a large quantity of beans and store the extra quantity in individual portions in plastic bowls covered with a lid in the freezer. Cooked beans can be safely stored in the freezer for at least 2 months. We should stick a label with the name of the food, the date we cooked it and the date we placed it in the freezer on each bowl. When we want to have a portion of bean soup, we take one out of the freezer and place it in a low rack in the fridge. Next day we heat it to boiling point and serve. We should never re-freeze thawed food!

This bean soup is very healthy because apart from the highly nutritious beans it also contains olive oil, onions and chili pepper. My recipe may be the easiest one, but it does not lack in flavour. Indeed, you can cook it as hot as you like!!! Capsaicin which is contained in chili peppers is a mild analgesic so it can soothe headaches and pains from arthritis. Onions contain fiber, precious anti-oxidants and sulfur compounds. As for olive oil, it is rich in unsaturated fats and has a fair amount of vitamin E and K. 

Ingredients for a large pot of bean soup:

• 500 gr of fresh crop dry beans ( preferably of the Greek "kontoula" variety)
• 1 mug of virgin olive oil
• a large onion (grated)
• some pieces of dry red chili pepper
• salt

Preparation:

1. Soak the beans in plenty of water the night before you cook them. 

2. Next morning strain the beans and wash them well. Put a large pot with plenty of water on high heat, add the soaked beans and cover with the lid. When it boils throw away the foam that is formed on the surface.

3. Add the grated onion, the chili pepper pieces, the olive oil and some salt. 

4. When it gets to boil again, lower the heat, cover the pot with its lid and let the soup simmer for at least one hour and a half, checking every 15 minutes or so to see whether there is enough water and adding some if needed. Continue simmering until the soup becomes thick and the beans are so soft that they melt in your mouth. Then it's ready for serving!

5. Serve the bean soup with grilled homemade sourdough bread. It's the ideal combination!

Article for the nutritional value and health benefits of dry beans: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24871476/