Year of the Bean

A cold winter night, achy bones – time for chicken noodle soup. With a twist! I’d already cooked up some lovely Royal Corona beans with aromatics, and had a few other odds and ends lying around, so: soup!

Ingredients

• 150g cooked Royal Corona Beans (in the usual method)
• 100g Black Caviar Lentil (or other lentil)
• 200g potato gnocchi (I used Rustichella, which are fantastic)
• 100g baby spinach, washed well
• 1000 mL good chicken (or veggie) stock
• 250 mL water
• 1 C. mixed aromatics (I had onion, carrots, and cabbage diced small)
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• olive oil
• bay leaf

Procedure

1. Heat olive oil over medium in Dutch oven or soup pot
2. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute
3. Add aromatics and cook for a few minutes, until they begin to soften
4. Add lentils, tomato paste, and oregano, and stir to combine
5. Add stock and bay leaf, and raise to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes
6. Add Royal Corona beans and their liquid, along with salt, stir to combine, and cook for a few minutes
7. Add spinach and cook for another couple of minutes, until wilted and combined
8. Add water if needed to regain some soupiness
9. Add gnocchi and raise to a low boil, and cook 2-3 minutes
10. Serve and enjoy!