Spanish Bean Soup Recipe

This winter we vacationed in St. Augustine, Florida where we dined at one of our favorite restaurants, The Columbia, located in the old town. My beloved ordered the signature "1905 Spanish Bean Soup", and I ate nearly all of it for him. :) I was blown away at how delicious this soup was and continued to crave its rich and smoky flavor for weeks after.

I finally decided to make my own version and came up with this very simple recipe. I ate two very large bowls for lunch and am seriously considering thirds!

Let me know if you decide to make it. Enjoy! Xo

Spanish Bean Soup Recipe

(6 servings, 30 minutes)

Ingredients

• 3 tsp olive oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 3 stalks celery, diced

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 tsp salt + more to taste

• 6 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 Tbsp tomato paste

• 3-4 cups chicken broth (*See Note)

• 2 cups prepared beans, rinsed (*See Note)

• 6 oz of smoked sausage diced (*See Note)

• Chopped parsley or chives for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Add olive oil, onions, celery, carrots, and salt into a stockpot and sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until soft.

2. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, while stirring.

3. Add chicken broth, beans, and sausage to the pot and bring to boiling over medium, about 10 minutes.

4. Turn off the heat and let soup sit for at least 5 minutes prior to serving.

5. Test soup and add more salt if necessary.

6. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives, if using.

Notes

• You may use more chicken broth for a soupier soup, or less for more of a chili-like consistency. If you decide to use more broth, you may choose to use more tomato paste too. You can always add more of the tomato paste in as you taste and adjust your flavors in step 5.

• I used black-eyed peas for this recipe because it's what I had on hand, but chickpeas (which they use for their soup at The Columbia), pintos, or any other light bean would work well in this recipe.

• I cook beans in big batches and keep them on-hand in the freezer, then I use them in soups & dips. However, you could easily use a 16 oz can of beans instead of making them from scratch. Just be sure to rinse them before adding them to your soup.

• I used Kiolbassa brand organic beef smoked sausage in this recipe, but any andouille or kielbasa would be delicious.