Recipe # 16: Adzuki Bean Soup

The adzuki bean, a staple in Japanese cuisine, lends its supple texture to this otherwise basic soup.  Prized for its protein and high fiber content, the adzuki bean is much more nutritious and versatile than similar beans.  Small and red in color, you can often find them in the dried bulk section of your local grocery store.  If you are having trouble locating them, try ordering them online through Amazon (you can use the search box on the right) or another retailer.  Building a deep flavor is paramount to the success of this soup, so be sure to thoroughly cook and develop your mirepoix base.  For a nice surprise, keep the garlic chunky - this will leave the garlic tender and buttery in the finished soup!  Like the spicy black bean soup, coupled with a well-stocked pantry this dish is relatively inexpensive and a nice addition to a menu rotation any time of year.

Adzuki Bean Soup

1 medium onions
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp sunflower oil
1 lb. baby carrots
1 celery heart
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp marjoram
8 cups water
2 cups dried black beans, rinsed and soaked

Soaking the beans:

Place beans in a large colander and rinse thoroughly, picking out any shriveled beans or foreign objects.  In a large pot, bring 8 cups water to a boil.  When the water reaches a rolling boil, add the dried beans and cover, encouraging a rapid return to a boil.  Let the beans cook in boiling water for 2 minutes and remove from heat.  Keeping covered, let the beans soak for at least 2 hours on the stove top.  This can be done a day ahead or before you cook the soup.

Vegetable prep:

• Dice the onion and smash-chop* the garlic.
• Slice the carrots in half  length-wise and dice them into ½ inch pieces, set aside.   Depending on the size of your carrots, you’ll get 2-4 cuts per half.  Try slicing 3-4 baby carrots in half, and then dice them.  This should make the process go faster.
• Trim the celery hearts of the (dried) top and (dirty) bottom and rinse the stalks to ensure you remove all the dirt.  Slice the stalks, lengthwise, into halves or thirds (depending on the width)  and dice into ½ inch pieces.  Like the carrots, you can dice a few stalks at the same time, which should help ease chopping fatigue.

Stovetop:

Heat the oil in a large stock pot, over medium-high heat, and add the onions and garlic.  Stir occasionally to keep the garlic from browning too quickly.  You want the onions to begin to brown before proceeding (you may notice the bottom of the pan becoming “sticky“ from the onions starting to caramelize), about 7-9 minutes.  Add the carrots and keep stirring (the introduction of a water-heavy vegetable will help stop the cooking for a while and get the browned bits up from the pan).  When the carrots begin to brown, after 6-9 minutes, add the celery and keep stirring.  When the celery has reduced by half (you’ll notice a difference in the pot, as the vegetables cook and water evaporates), after 9-12 minutes, add herbs and spices, cooking for 2 minutes to help release the oils.  Add the beans and 8 cups of water, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to release the caramelized bits into the broth, and cover.  Bring the soup to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, reduce to a simmer and cover.  Cook for at least 35 minutes, longer for a thicker soup.  Remove from heat and let cool before serving.


*Smash-chop: after you have peeled the cloves, trim the root end off.  Smash the clove with the side of your knife by pressing firmly until the clove breaks into pieces; chop the smashed cloves into a dice similar in size to the onions being used.