Greek-Inspired Longevity Bean Soup

It is never too soon to be proactive about your health and longevity! As we ring in the New Year, many of us have considered healthy lifestyle goals and the meals we consume are a large part of it.

The Blue Zones of the world are well-documented. These are communities of peoples      who routinely enjoy healthy, productive lives as centenarians. A common ingredient in all their diets is beans. Legumes of all variety. And a rainbow of vegetables to go with.

My dear friend, Frances, and I binged together on the Netflix four-part series on the Blue Zones a few months ago. Whilst we were both very familiar with Dan Buettner’s work, we were reinspired to make a bigger effort in maintaining our fortunate good health and vitality.

A trip to Rancho Gordo in Napa was soon on our schedules. We loaded up our baskets with a goodly selection of several bean varieties and set off to expand our bean-making repertoire.

We are fortunate to live in the Bay Area where high-quality, fresh, and local foodstuffs are available. I used Il Fiorello’s organic Koroneiki extra-virgin olive oil for the finishing flourish before serving. Il Fiorello Olive Oil Company is in Fairfield, CA, and their tasting notes describe it as “herbaceous, green leaves, cut grass, artichokes, with intense freshness”.

These gigantic Royal Corona beans are the star of this soup! They cook up tender and, dare I say, “meaty” owing to their size and toothsomeness. They’re as fun to eat as they are visually impressive to those new to them.

My recipe is inspired by Chef Diane Kochilas, whose program My Greek Table I enjoy watching on PBS weekend cooking broadcasts. She often features recipes from the Greek isle of Ikaria, one of the aforementioned “Blue Zones”, where she has a home and conducts cooking classes and tours throughout Greece.

As this is a soup recipe, it can handle variations, substitutions, and scaling. Since we are in the dead of winter, I used flat-leafed parsley in place of fresh basil; and halved Kochilas’ recipe as that’s plenty for our small household, including leftovers.

I hope you will similarly make this recipe your own!

A few advance notes:  One could skip the extra step of sautéing the squash, corn, and garlic before adding to the soup pot, but sauteing adds another layer of flavors from the light browning. That said, adding the squash and corn directly into the soup, once the beans are tender, is fine. Just remember to use all of the garlic in the initial cooking of onions and garlic.

This soup could easily be prepared in a slow cooker as well.

Greek-Inspired Longevity Bean Soup

Adapted from Diane Kochilas’ Fasolada – Bean Soup with Pumpkin & Corn

Makes about 3 quarts

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Ingredients

  

• 1/2 pound giant beans dried, such as Royal Corona or Greek gigantes
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil divided, preferably Greek
• 1-1/2 cup red onion coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh garlic minced, divided
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes and their juices
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves lightly crushed, or 2 sprigs fresh
• 1 3-inch long strip fresh orange peel
• 1 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
• 1 cup delicata squash cubed, substitute butternut
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped
• 1-2 teaspoons honey preferably local
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar scant measure, to taste
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground black peppercorns to taste

Instructions

 

• Check the beans for debris, rinse and then soak the beans overnight, drain and discard the soaking water. Soaking is optional but will decrease the cooking time considerably.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the red onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 – 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the minced garlic (set remaining 1 tablespoon aside for later), give it a quick stir; then add the tomato paste. Stir again to incorporate the tomato paste throughout.
• Add the drained beans, canned tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, and orange peel. Top off with enough water to cover by 2-inches.
• Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until the beans are very tender, about 1-1/ 2 to 2 hours. When the beans are tender, scoop out about 1 cup of the soup and puree in a food processor or blender (an immersion stick blender also works great), then return to the pot. This blending step is optional but will add a bit of body to the soup.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the squash and corn until lightly browned, then add the remaining garlic and sea salt. Mix well then add to the soup pot once the beans have cooked through and the pureed portion has been added back to the pot.
• Return the soup to a simmer and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and black pepper. Just before serving remove the orange peel and bay leaf. Stir in the chopped parsley, honey and balsamic vinegar.
• Serve with an generous drizzle of high-quality, extra-virgin olive oil and a few sprays of parsley.