Bean soup
Description
The soup is simple and quick to prepare. It's a delicious, completely vegetarian soup. Preparation: Cover the beans with cold water and soak for several hours. Drain the water, place the beans in a pot, add 1.5–2 liters of water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1.5–2 hours, until the beans are soft. Dice the bell pepper, slice the celery into small pieces, and cut the carrots into thin strips. Add the vegetables to the pot with the beans, season with salt, ground chili pepper, and cook for 20 minutes. Chop the onion and sauté in a frying pan until golden brown. Transfer the onion, half of the cooked vegetables, and beans into a blender. Blend until smooth, then return the mixture to the soup. (Alternatively, blend the onion together with half of the soup vegetables, beans, and some broth.) Peel the tomato, finely chop it, and add to the soup. You may substitute the fresh tomato with tomato purée. Stir in chopped parsley and serve the soup with toasted croutons. The soup is ready to serve.