Chilistrone Soup! Pasta Kidney Bean Soup

Slow cooker or stovetop soup recipe, a cross between chili & minestrone

Chilistrone Soup! Variation on Eclectic Pasta Stew, the hot Latino cousin of Pasta E Fagioli, a cross between chili & minestrone.

Add or substitute vegetables as you like in this easy vegan soup recipe. Potatoes and pasta work well together, believe it or not, but you can substitute, or leave them out.

Kidney Bean Pasta Soup cooks up quickly on the stove top, or make it in the slow cooker and add pasta at the end of cooking.

Total Prep And Cook Time: 20 minutes prep, 4 - 6 hours slowcooker

6 Servings

Nutrition Data Per Serving, 186g: 207 cal, 37g carb, 4g fat, 230mg sodium, 6g fiber, 7g protein, low Saturated Fat & Cholesterol, good source Vit A, C, K, Folate. Estimated glycemic load 18

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans, drained & rinsed (one 15 oz can)
Bean Cooking Directions
1 cup dry penne pasta, cooked al dente (chewy), rinsed with cold water, and set aside
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced fresh garlic (2 - 3 cloves)
1/4 cup diced onion
1 minced fresh jalapeño pepper
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced thin on the diagonal
2 stalks celery, trimmed and sliced thinly

1 medium potato, peeled and cut in 1" cubes
1 cup sliced fresh OR frozen green beans
1/2 chopped red bell pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne or chipotle pepper OR to taste
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaf
1 tsp dried marjoram leaf
1/2 tsp gr cumin
1 tsp gr coriander
1 cup low sodium tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
4 cups water or soup stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, parsley or cilantro as garnish
Optional: grated dairy or non-dairy cheese

Directions:

Put 2 qts salted water on to boil for the pasta
Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 7 minutes, drain, rinse with cold water and set aside
Heat the oil on low in a 4 - 6 quart pan
Prep the veggies
Add the onion to the oil, sauté 5 minutes on med heat
Add the garlic & jalapeño, sauté 5 minutes on med heat
Add the celery, carrot, and potato. Sauté 5 minutes on med/high heat
Add the red pepper and fresh green beans, herbs and spices, sauté briefly
Drain and rinse the kidney beans, then add to veggies with the water or stock and tomato sauce
Stove Top: Bring to boil, cover and simmer the veggies and beans. When the veggies are tender, add cooked pasta, frozen green beans if using, and salt to taste. Cook for 10 more minutes
Slow Cooker or Crockpot: Sauté the onions, garlic, & jalapeño as directed above. Add everything to the crockpot except the pasta & frozen beans, cover and simmer on low until veggies are tender: 4 - 6 hours
Refrigerate the pasta
When the veggies are tender, add the pasta, frozen green beans & salt. Turn heat to high and cook for 20 more minutes or until pasta and green beans are heated through. Add salt to taste.
Serve in bowls, sprinkled with fresh herb and topped with grated cheese if you like. Enjoy!

Cooking Kidney beans:

Kidney beans take 12 - 24 hours soaking. They've had enough when they've doubled in size and have no wrinkles
Beans have cooked long enough when they're soft enough to mash with your fingers, but still intact
Beans are generally cooked without salt so they won't be tough, BUT a pinch of salt in the soaking and cooking water helps kidney beans to cook with skins intact. Adding salt adds an hour or so to the cooking time.
Toxins and Crockpot Cooking: Red and white kidney (cannellini) beans, and black beans, contain the toxin phytohennagglutenin. Red kidney beans contain the highest amount. You can get rid of the toxin through long soaking (12 - 24 hours), with 2 or 3 changes of water, then boiling the beans for 10 - 15 minutes before adding to the crockpot. It's a good idea to preheat the crockpot on high before adding the beans. More info on phytohennagglutenin. Also watch our video, Basic Bean Cooking (with Kidney Beans and Black Eyed Peas) and see our basic bean cooking recipe
Slow Cooker: After soaking, boiling & skimming the foam, drain beans and add to cooker with cold water to cover. Cover and cook on low for 6 - 8 hours, just until tender.
For pressure cooking or stovetop cooking, boiling first is not necessary, but beans should always be soaked so they cook more quickly and evenly.
If you use a pressure cooker, consult the bean cooking chart on the basic bean recipe page for cooking times.
1 cup dried dark red kidney beans
Soak 6 hours in hot water, or 12 - 24 hours
Drain, rinse, add water to cover
Bring to a boil, skim foam, cover and simmer 2 hours or more until soft but intact

Recipe Comments:

Ah, what a soul-satisfying soup this was!!! I fixed it for two of my women friends ... serving it with marinated vegetables cooked on the outdoor grill. They never stopped moaning and smacking their lips! This is such a rich, textural soup with flavors so divine that it deserves a Soup of The Year award!!! Dee Davis

I love this soup! I've made it many times! - Beth V.

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