Surprisingly "beefy?" veg soup

[T3sl4co1l]

Standard disclaimer, I never measure things, so the ability to reproduce this is always a bit... who knows.  Also if I even remember everything.  But that said.

Bean Mushroom Soup (small batch)

1 c. white, "Navy", or pea beans (dry) (or choose your own/favorite kind)
3 c. water
1 tbsp. chicken stock concentrate (e.g. Better Than Bouillon)

Cover. Bring to a boil, simmer for ~2hr.

1 medium carrot, peeled, chopped
1/4 medium white onion, chopped
1/2 lb. white mushrooms, mixture of sliced and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped*
4 cloves garlic, minced

*I didn't have this on hand, and substituted with about 1 tsp. celery seed, added earlier. Ideally, use the mirepoix proper.

Add veg, bring back to a boil, simmer for 1hr.

Final herbs + spices:

2 splashes (maybe 1 tsp?) liquid aminos
1-3 tsp black pepper (fresh cracked) (or to taste)
1/4 c. red wine (this was a particularly deep Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 pinch nutmeg, freshly grated (about 3 strokes on a grater)
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. coconut oil (preferably: sautée the mirepoix in this beforehand; I didn't want to bother with the frying pan here)

A small tomato might also do well for some acidity versus vinegar, or other sources of tartness.

It was pretty good fresh, even better after sitting in the fridge a few hours (as soup almost always is).  I think there's something to be said about nutmeg, in small amounts, in combination with other umami flavors, and the liquid aminos obviously.  Nutmeg is understated but surprisingly effective in sausages.  Have to be careful with aminos as they have a fairly strong flavor.  Sugar as well.

I can almost believe there's a little bit (albeit little) of beef broth in here, maybe.  Chicken stock can probably be subbed for veg stock to be properly vegetarian (or vegan even) without costing much depth of flavor.  Or if you're inclined to go the other way, toss in a bit of whatever meat of your choice beforehand.  Or bones (but preferably, make broth of them first, straining out the loose boney bits).  Don't need much; this is, well I mean, it's the traditional way to stretch whatever little bit of meat you might come by, after all.

I suppose for a faster prep version, use lentils instead of beans, put everything in at once, and simmer for 1/2 hr.  Flavor will be a bit different of course.  Rice also good to consider; brown rice can be cooked with lentils at the same time, or small white rice like Jasmine should be added in the final 10 mins or so.  Hmm, wild rice would probably be a good flavor combination here if it's handy.

Oh also, I don't bother prepping (soaking or sorting) pea beans, they're pretty good from the bag.  Do put them in cold water, and let it come to a boil; I think they get shocked a bit if dumped into boiling water, and either take longer to cook, or never quite soften completely.  YMMV for other kinds, and, do whatever prep you prefer.

Oh, or skip the initial 2hr simmer if using canned beans, obviously a much faster way as well.

Tim

[coppercone2]

I got better then beef bullion in a jar its pretty good

adds well to ramen too.

very important ingredient for a soup IMO if you are not boiling bones for a long time etc. Tried it in french onion soup too, the onions got mad burned but I did manage to eat one bowl and it was still alright but nasty to take out all the burned onions.

the most savory soup that does not actually use meat might be french onion with heavy cream soup if you don't like beans.