THIS is one of those soups that makes you feel good about your health and is still incredibly delicious and satisfying. Beans are probably the most underrated super food. They’re packed full of fiber, protein, and antioxidants, while still being super inexpensive and shelf stable. And when you get 15 different varieties all in one pot, you’ve got a serious nutrition powerhouse! I decided to make it a Vegetarian 15 Bean Soup (it’s actually vegan) this week, but you could always add some bacon, a smoked ham hock, or smoked turkey leg to your soup for a little extra smoky flavor.
What Kind of Beans Do I Use?
“15 Bean Soup” mixes are fairly common in most major grocery stores, and they are sold right along side the other dry beans. I used Hurst’s Brand, which are in many major grocery stores. They’re basically just a mix of 15 bean varieties in one bag, and they’re quite beautiful, with all their different colors, patterns, and sizes. They usually come with a seasoning packet, just like instant ramen, but I prefer to add my own herbs and spices.
What to Serve with Bean Soup
While this soup itself is vegan, I ended up topping it with some shaved parmesan. Other good toppings would be a dollop of sour cream, Greek yogurt (you could do coconut yogurt to keep it vegan), or even some shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack. And I definitely suggest serving with some crusty bread on the side (try this no-knead bread).
How to Store the Leftovers
This Vegetarian 15 Bean Soup will freeze great, so don’t be afraid of the recipe’s large volume! Just divide it up after cooking, cool, then transfer to the freezer for long term storage. This soup does take some time to prepare, but most of it is passive time. So plan this recipe for a weekend or your day off so you can keep an eye on it while double tasking with something fun, like watching a movie. :) And don’t forget to start soaking the beans the night before!
Vegetarian 15 Bean Soup
Servings 8 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 1 lb. 15 bean soup mix* (2.69)
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil** ($0.44)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 4 carrots ($0.45)
- 3 ribs celery ($0.46)
- 6 cups water ($0.00)
- 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.49)
- 1 tsp cumin ($0.10)
- 1 tsp oregano ($0.10)
- 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika ($0.15)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley ($0.22)
- to taste salt ($0.02)
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar ($0.04)
Instructions
- The night before, place the beans in a large bowl and add cool water until the beans are covered with twice as much water as the beans. Let the beans soak overnight, or for at least 8 hours, in the refrigerator.
- When you’re ready to begin cooking, drain the beans in a colander and rinse them well with fresh water. Set the beans aside so they can begin to warm up.
- Mince the garlic and dice the onion. Add the garlic, onion, and coconut oil to a large soup pot. Sauté over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, or until the onions are soft and transparent.
- While the onion and garlic are sautéing, dice the celery and carrot. Once the onions have softened, add the carrot and celery to the pot and sauté for about 5 minutes more, or just until the celery starts to soften.
- Add the beans to the pot along with 6 cups of water, and stir to combine. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring it up to a boil. Once it reaches a rolling boil, turn the heat down to low or medium-low, and let the beans simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 90 minutes, the beans should be quite soft and have broken down a bit, causing the water to look slightly thick and cloudy. Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and parsley to the pot. Stir to combine, then let the soup simmer for another 20 minutes.
- Taste the soup and add salt to taste (I added 1.5 tsp). Finally, stir in the apple cider vinegar. Keep in mind that as the soup is stored in the refrigerator, the salt may absorb into the beans and taste more muted. You may need to add more salt the next day.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make 15 Bean Soup – Step by Step Photos
The night before place 1 pound of the dry 15 bean mix (do not use the seasoning packet) in a large bowl. Cover it with enough water so there is double the amount of water as beans. Refrigerate the beans overnight, or for at least 8 hours. This is what they look like after soaking. When you’re ready to start cooking, drain the beans in a colander and rinse them well with fresh water.
Dice one yellow onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Add the onions, garlic, and 2 Tbsp coconut oil (or your favorite cooking oil) to a large pot. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent.
While the onions and garlic are cooking, peel and dice 4 carrots, and dice 3 ribs of celery. Add them to the pot and continue to sauté just until the celery begins to soften (about 5 minutes more).
Add the rinsed and drained beans…
And 6 cups of water. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and let it come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low or medium low, and let it continue to simmer for 90 minutes. Stir it occasionally as it simmers.
After it’s simmered for 90 minutes, the beans should be very soft and be breaking down. The broth will look all cloudy like this, and kind of pale in color.
Now it’s time to add those top note flavors! Add one 15oz. can of diced tomatoes (with the juices), 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, some freshly cracked pepper, and a handful of chopped fresh parsley. Stir everything to combine, then let the soup simmer for another 20 minutes or so.
And now it’s looking much more vibrant. BUT we haven’t added ANY salt yet, so the flavors are still quite muted. Now it’s time to season with salt to taste. I ended up using 1.5 tsp, but I suggest starting with 1/2 tsp, and increasing from there until the flavors really pop. Keep in mind that as you refrigerate this, the salt will absorb into the beans some and become more muted, so you may need to add more the next day.
Finally, stir in a couple teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to brighten it all up, and it’s done!
Great tasting soup, but couldn’t find nutrition break down.
We only recently brought on a Registered Dietician to our team. She’s working hard behind the scenes to update the entire recipe database, over 1500+ recipes, with nutritional information. She’s working her way from the newest recipes back and it takes some time to update them all. Stay tuned!
So very good! What a wonderful recipe thank you for sharing it. I added a chopped green bell pepper it added so much flavor.
I made this – yummy! I did add a few drops of liquid smoke, but I’m sure it would still be delicious without that change.
Can I make this is a slow cooker? Would I cook it on low for 8 hours?
thanks
I would suggest doing a quick 10 minute boil on the stove top first, because some beans need to be boiled at least ten minute to avoid causing gastric distress (beans in the kidney bean family). Then I would transfer them to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients and try 8 hours on low. That’s just my first guess, though. It’s definitely something that would need some testing. :)
I made in the instant pot and had soaked the beans first. I cooked for 20 minutes and tasted and thought it needed something. I added tomato paste and some sherry. It has some zing and is delicious with the additions. Plus I put some avocado in it when I served it. Another nice option.
Thank for letting us know!
Excellent. Made it as described except used olive oil instead of coconut oil. Rich flavor.
Happy to hear it!
So yummy! The bag of beans was 20 oz, so I added an extra cup of water. I sautéed the veggies in the stovetop pressure cooker, then added the water, beans and a chopped up piece of kombu and cooked under pressure for 45 minutes and did a quick release. I used both the recipe spices and the packet that came with the beans, and I added a teaspoon of Liquid Smoke with the spices and simmered 20 minutes.
Great tips and additions Kathleen. Thank you for sharing.
The brand of 15 bean mix sold around here (Hurst) actually comes in 20 ounce bags, so 1 1/4 pounds. Should I weigh out one pound from the bag, or just use the whole thing and add a bit more water? I don’t want the beans to seasonings ratio to be thrown off.
I’d suggest weighing out the 1 lb and sticking to the recipe, or you could adjust the servings up just a tad to get 1.25 pounds and the rest of the ingredients will adjust as well.
I made this in the instant pot tonight, and it was pretty good! I soaked the beans overnight. I then used the saute function first for the veggies (onions until translucent, then added the garlic for about one minute, then added the carrots and celery for about another five, and lastly the spices for about a minute). Then I added the beans and five cups water, and used the manual setting, high pressure for 20 minutes. I let the pot natural release for about 10 minutes, and then manually released the rest of the pressure, and added in the tomatoes, vinegar, and salt. I also smashed some of the beans against the side of the pot at the end to get a thicker consistency.
Since this recipe uses water instead of broth, I ended up adding a lot more salt than I usually would (maybe 2-3 teaspoons). That’s my only complaint with this dish, though, that it’s a bit bland as is. I think next time I’d make it with broth, or a mix of broth and water. Otherwise, I loved the mix of beans and veggies, and everything came out incredibly soft with the instant pot (if you want the beans and veggies a little firmer, you may want to cook for less time). This recipe also makes a ton of soup, so I’ll be able to freeze leftovers for a busy night. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thanks for the feedback and tips Courtney!
Thank you for sharing the instant pot version of this recipe and the tips. I didn’t follow the exact measurements required to make this wonderful dish. However, it turned out amazing and I love the flavours!
Made this soup yesterday- followed recipe exactly except I used a full carton of vegetable stock (4 cups) and 2 cups of water. (instaed of 6 cups of water). I think this gave the soup even more flavor. Served it with some fresh minced onions and a dollop of sour cream- and a side of corn bread- Yum! This soup is really good, and super hearty and healthy. I will definitely make this again. thanks for a great recipe!
Great work Janet! Thanks for sharing!
I just made this in an instant pot (8 minutes!) I also roasted the veggies in the oven then added them after beans were cooked and it sooo delicious! The coconut oil really makes a difference! I’ve made similar recipes and this one is my favorite.
Happy to hear it! Thanks for sharing!
I am new to instant pot how did you make this recipe?
We haven’t made it in the Instant Pot specifically. But if you look at some previous comments you can see there has been great success. “I just made this in an instant pot (8 minutes!) I also roasted the veggies in the oven then added them after beans were cooked and it sooo delicious! The coconut oil really makes a difference! I’ve made similar recipes and this one is my favorite.”
I have not cooked this yet. But I need to know, is there substitute for tomatoes in a recipe. My son has adverse reactions to them.
Thanks!
Hi Chris! You could just leave them out in this case. But I’d keep an eye on it and add maybe a 1/2 can more water just in case.
Is it possible to use vegetable broth instead of water? I have some I need to use up.
Yes! That would be delicious!
The pack of 12 bean mix I bought said it didn’t need a soak, instead of following the 1LB bag, I used the whole 900g (yikes). I followed the exact recipe but threw in a couple extra cups of water and some chicken broth. In the end, the meal turned more into a stew than a soup and it was delicious!! Looks like we’ll be eating this for the week, thanks for the recipe!!
What a happy oops!
Delicious!
Thank you!