VEGETABLE BEAN SOUP

In my previous post I wrote about the pressure cooker/slow cooker that I bought.  After using the pressure cooker to cook 1.5 cups of dry mixed beans, I then made a vegetable bean soup.  Dry beans when cooked, double in volume.  The soup turned out great and both the DH and I enjoyed it.  Using the pressure cooker was a much quicker method to make the soup and I didn't feel that the taste was compromised.  You can also add different vegetables than the ones I have included here.  For example,  instead of using fresh potatoes, I used leftover mashed potatoes.

All of the ingredients have been added and new ready to cook.

I am going to sample the soup.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 large carrots, chopped
1 large handful of fresh green beans, chopped
1 large potato, scrubbed or pealed, chopped finely
1 - 15 ounce canned tomatoes or 6 frozen or fresh tomatoes
1 tbsp chicken bouillon flavouring
6 to 8 cups water
3 cups of cooked beans
1 to 2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried thyme

DIRECTIONS:

Using a pressure cooker

Add the oil to the cooking pot and saute the onion, garlic and celery for 7 minutes.  Add the carrots and cook for another minute.   Turn the saute option off.  Add the rest of the ingredients to the cooking pot and combine.  Set the machine up to cook as a pressure cooker and set the timer for 15 minutes.  If you don't have a saute option with your machine, you can saute the vegetables in a separate pan before adding them to the pressure cooker pot.  You can add salt and pepper to taste after the cooking is done.

Using a soup pot

Heat the oil on medium high heat and saute the onion, garlic, celery for 7 minutes on medium low heat. Add the carrots and cook for another minute.  Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 75 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6 to 8.