Since I tried this adzuki bean and Tuscan cavolo nero soup for the first time and almost by chance, it has become a staple in my kitchen and in the diet of the whole family.
As usual, also this recipe of mine is easy, very healthy, and affordable. Depending on where you live, the only slightly more expensive ingredient is the adzuki beans. The remaining ingredients are likely to be already in your pantry and the cabbage, whether you are using Tuscan cavolo nero like me or kale, is easy to find and inexpensive.
While it might seem to take a long time to prepare, it actually doesn’t. Most of the time, in fact, is to soak the red beans and that happens overnight, and then to cook them. But that too, doesn’t require you to do anything.
Your work is to chop the veggies and that would take some 15 minutes. Once you open the pressure cooker, your soup is ready.
I love soups. When fall starts, we revel in soups and comfort foods every evening, whether it’s a simple pumpkin soup or a more complete soup with legumes and grains. This adzuki beans and Tuscan cavolo nero soup has quickly become a favorite, even my 4-year-old loves it.
Let’s dive in!
Adzuki beans and Tuscan cavolo nero soup ingredients – Tips
- Adzuki beans. These Japanese red beans are a wonderful source of precious nutrients. In my house, we consume them quite often because apart from being easy to digest, they are also detoxing and slightly diuretic. And just like all legumes, they are a great source of proteins, fiber, minerals, and vitamins.
- Cavolo nero. When fall starts, this Tuscan black cabbage is always in my fridge. An excellent source of antioxidants, this is a true superfood. Some of its nutrients include folic acid, vitamins A, B, C, and E, and minerals such as iron, zinc, and calcium. Cavolo nero is precious also for its micronutrients such as powerful antioxidant flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol.
- Kombu alga. I almost always use the kombu alga when I soak and cook legumes because it makes them easier to digest.
Red beans and Tuscan cavolo nero soup – Instructions + tips
- Soaking. Like all legumes, soaking the red beans overnight is very important because otherwise they keep their antinutrients and you will have the opposite effect of what you are looking for by not absorbing their precious components. Before leaving them to soak, make sure you wash the beans thoroughly.
- Prepare beforehand. The preparation is quite easy and requires very few steps. But since these steps are very close to each other, I suggest you have everything ready before turning on the fire.
- How to serve it. Serve this adzuki beans and Tuscan cavolo nero soup warm with a sprinkle of black pepper if you like it and a few drops of extra virgin olive oil.
- Add your grain. I always consume this soup with a grain that I cook separately and add to the plate. I normally cook and store in the fridge for a couple of days one or two grains that I can add to any dish. Usually, I eat my adzuki beans and Tuscan cavolo nero soup with buckwheat because it’s my go-to dish from fall through winter and buckwheat is a warm grain. But it’s great also with barley or even with small pasta.
Variations
- Different veggies. This adzuki beans and Tuscan cavolo nero soup is perfect with other veggies too. For example, I often add also daikon. If you don’t have cavolo nero, you can add any other type of cabbage, broccoli will work too, including the green leaves that are packed with nutrients and get often discarded. A fantastic version is the one with kale, which is also quite close to cavolo nero.
- Different herbs. For this adzuki beans and Tuscan cavolo nero soup recipe, I like thyme and rosemary but you can try different herbs. I think parsley will be a great addition, or you can also try dill or marjoram.
- Spicy. For this version of adzuki beans and Tuscan cavolo nero soup, I chose not to use spices. It’s quite unusual to me because I add spices a bit everywhere, but this time I opted for herbs only. If you want to experiment with spices, you can use cumin and coriander. Or if you want a mix of spices, you can simply use your favorite curry. If you enjoy hot chili, you can add that too.
Adzuki Beans and Cavolo Nero Soup
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker
- 1 Large bowl
Ingredients
- 250 gr adzuki beans
- 1 large carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 cavolo nero leaf
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 onion
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 pinch of salt
- fresh thyme
- fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cm kombu seaweed optional
- black pepper to taste optional
Instructions
- Soak the adzuki beans overnight for at least 8 hours in a large bowl. At this point, you can add the kombu alga.
- When you are ready to start cooking, drain the beans and wash them thoroughly. You can keep the kombu alga and add it to the pot.
- Chop the onion, the garlic, the carrot, and the celery and place them in the pressure cooker with the oil.
- Wash and chop also the cavolo nero but keep it separated from the other veggies.
- Turn on the fire to medium heat and start browning all the veggies while keeping stirring.
- Add the adzuki beans with the kombu and stir still a little bit.
- Add water to cover everything. The water needs to be some 2 to 3 cm above the red beans and the veggies.
- Now add the salt, the thyme, the rosemary, the bay leaf, and the chopped cavolo nero.
- Make sure your ingredients don't go above the limit line of your pressure cooker, then close it, and from the first whistle cook for 45 to 50 minutes at medium heat.
- Serve hot adding a sprinkle of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. When serving, you can also add a grain of your choice.
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