Ingredients

Scale

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 – 4 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup (about 2 stalks) celery (save & chop the leaves for later)
2 cups dry mixed beans (I used red beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, a few red lentils & split peas … use whatever you need to use up!)
1 pint (or 15-oz. can) chopped canned tomatoes
1 bay leaf
7 – 8 cups of water
1 quart ham or vegetable broth
1 cup roughly chopped carrots
1 1/2 cups zucchini or other summer squash, sliced and cut into quarters
3/4 cup Romesco sauce (recipe here)
Add to taste: smoked paprika, hot peppers (peeled & chopped), chipotle powder and salt & pepper

For the top:

Additional Romesco sauce
a bit of feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
Fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

In a nonstick soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and celery and saute until the onion is very soft and tender. Add the beans, tomatoes, bay leaf and water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 – 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are very soft and tender. If the beans start to look dry during this process, add more water.
When the beans are fully cooked, add the broth, carrots, zucchini and Romesco sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and cook, uncovered, for about 15 – 20 minutes or until the carrots and zucchini are tender and cooked. Stir in the celery greens. Season to taste with seasonings, hot pepper, and salt & freshly ground pepper.
Serve hot with a bit more Romesco to swirl in the thick soup, some crumbled feta (if desired), and fresh parsley.

Notes

You can replace the fresh tomatoes with canned in the Romesco sauce and dried herbs (in smaller quantities) for the fresh, if needed.

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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