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!
Thanks all of the suggestions!!! I was concerned about the impact of the vinegar, but I guess it wasn’t tasted or otherwise noticed too much. I look forward to trying it!
Absolutely delish! I was worried about the apple cider vinegar because I’m not a huge fan and I was afraid it would ruin the dish, but I trusted the recipe because I’ve never not liked something I’ve made from Budget Bytes. So glad I did. It really added a nice note of flavor. My whole family loved it. I served it with cornbread (even though that is a little unconventional for this type of soup.) It was so good. Will definitely make it again!
This soup is simply delicious. I added 4 cups of vegetable broth, one escarole salad cut into small pieces, 1 sweet patato and a chopped leek as I wanted more veggies and it came out very good. I simply added a little more spices because of the additional broth and veggies. Thank you for the recipe! Will be making this recipe again in both the original and my added veggie versions.
I don’t buy the over-priced bean mixtures ut use some of all the dried beans I keep on hand. It isn’t always 15, but it is good and even better-priced.
I’d like to thank you for the recipe. Since I first tried it home, it became a regular meal. I love it. I make it in a thermal pot to limit energy cost and I love that it’s quick to make and I can then take care of the kids while it simmers.
We love it with toppings like nutritional yeast (for a cheese-like taste) or crushed nuts or diced avocados.
This is an excellent and very inexpensive soup. We make it every couple of months. One trick to make it extra tasty is to add Trader Joe’s Vegan Chorizo ($2.29). Add it after the onions and before the carrot and celery. If you like it extra spicy, add a couple of chilies in adobo (diced)and some of the sauce.
We also make our own mix of beans, buying bulk beans and lentils.
Forgot the rating! 5-stars all the way.
very very bland. i read the comments and added tomato paste and a ton more spices but it was too watery tasting.
My non-vegan boyfriend loved it!! Although a bit spicy for my like, he said it reminded him a lot of the Chili sold at Wendy’s. But obviously without the meat, and done at home so it’s a big plus!!! I left out the parsley because I didn’t have any at hand, and ate it with a side of Whole Rice, and it came out amazing. I also used normal paprika instead of smoked and it came out well. Used 2 jumbo carrots and came out a little too carrot-y for most, so one big jumbo carrot could do the job. Thank you for the recipe!
Also, in case you are lazy and forgetful. Boil the beans for 5-6 minutes on high then let sit for an hour. Quick rehydration :)
Just made this for dinner tonight, and it turned out great! I substituted crushed tomatoes for diced tomatoes (that’s all I had), and doubled the amount of cumin (I love cumin!!), but otherwise followed the recipe as written. This made such a hearty, satisfying bowl of soup, with plenty for leftovers! This recipe is definitely going into my rotation!
We found as is a little bland. We increased all the spices except the cayenne and it was so good! Thank you!
This soup is amazing!! I followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing. The whole family loved it.
This soul was amazing. I followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing. The whole family loved it!!
So yummy! At the end if the cooking time, I took about 1/3 of the soup out and puréed with my immersion blender then tossed it back in just to make it a bit thicker. Also added a large handful of fresh spinach.
15 bean soup is one of my go to’s. you can buy ten bean or 15 bean dry bean in bulk as well from winco or sprouts which might be a little less expensive. I’ve also started freezing the juices from the pot when I pressure cook a pot roast and defrost that to use for my bean soup which eliminates the need for any broths and adds some meat flavor without the cost of the meat. next time I make it I will try your variation
Really hearty soup recipe with a few changes. I quick soaked the beans first, drained and rinsed. Used 4 cloves of garlic instead of 2 and added half a jar of fire roasted bell peppers. Also, I used 4 cups of veggie broth and 2 cups of water for more flavor. I didn’t have any fresh parsley so used 3 tsp of dried. Using the saute setting on the IP I sauted the onions with coconut oil for about 5 minutes, added the garlic for another minute, then added carrots, celery and seasoning and sauteed for an additional 5 min. Then I added the remaining ingredients and pressure cooked for 12 minutes. Let it self release for 15 minutes and done. With 2 adults and 3 kids we enjoyed it very much with a side of cornbread. There is enough leftover for a quick lunch. Yum!