Thick and Hearty Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package dried navy beans
• 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Step 1

Cover the navy beans with plenty of water in a large bowl and let them soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. Once soaked, drain and add the beans to a big pot along with the chicken broth, some water, chopped onion, celery, garlic, and a bay leaf. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer gently, partially covered, for about an hour until the beans are nearly tender.

Step 2

Stir in the tomato paste and a good pinch of sea salt. Let the soup simmer for another 45 minutes to let the flavors meld. When it’s done, fish out the bay leaf and discard it.

Step 3

Scoop about half the soup into a blender—work in batches if needed, and don’t fill the blender more than halfway. Pulse a few times to break things up, then blend until smooth. Pour the pureed soup back into the pot with the remaining chunky soup. Give it a good stir, add some fresh parsley, and taste to adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm and enjoy!