There’s Nothing About a Chilly and Cloudy Day That Can’t Be Fixed by Speedy Bean Soup

After tricking us into believing an early summer had arrived, Spring has returned with a vengeance this weekend and forced my seedlings back inside. Chilly, cloudy, damp and brrrrr. However, I put ¾ bag of dried white beans in my mini slow cooker last night before I went to bed. And when I returned from church, I heated up some olive oil with 2 cloves of chopped garlic in a sauce pan, added 12 ounces of cooked beans, topped it with chopped rosemary and freshly ground pepper, added a cup of chicken stock (that I made in December), brought it to a boil, simmered for 10 minutes and then pureed the soup with my magic wand. Oh nirvana. Just what the doctor ordered. Fast and hot. Makes 2 servings of 200 calories, 6 grams of dietary fiber and 16 grams of protein (but 19 grams of total carbohydrates).

I’ll marinate the rest of the beans in a Dijon vinaigrette and mix with artichoke hearts, black and green olives, and roasted red peppers and then add it to a lunch salad (of romaine and spinach) later in the week. Who can notice the clouds with cheerful and versatile beans on hand?

Of course, I’ll be planting beans like these in another week to 10 days just to ensure my continued happiness when winter returns next year.