Al’s Fresh Summer Vegetable Soup

½ lb. dried black beans, sorted and rinsed
1 small piece dried kombu seaweed (optional)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 med. onions, ½ in’ diced
2-3 stalks celery
½ bell pepper, ½ in. diced
3-4 jalapeno peppers fine diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp low-sodium tamari sauce
½ tsp ground cumin
black pepper to taste
4 cups vegetable broth
1 bunch kale, thick stems removed & leaves coarse sliced
6-8 home or locally grown tomatoes, cored, peeled and large diced
1 bunch swiss chard, thick stems removed & leaves course diced
1 ½ cups fresh or 1 lb. frozen corn kernels
1 small zucchini, cubed
1 small yellow squash, cubed
1 pkg. “Tofurky” beer brats, quartered lengthwise & cubed (optional)

Soak beans and kombu at least 3 hours in water and drain. In a small pot cover beans and kombu with water and cook until tender. Set aside. (The kombu will have dissolved into the beans.)

In a large soup pot, add oil, onions, celery & bell pepper and sauté until onions become pale. Add garlic and jalapenos and cook a bit longer. Add tamari, vinegar, cumin, black pepper, broth and kale. Bring to a boil and simmer until kale softens. Add tomatoes, corn and brats and cook a bit longer. Add chard and squash and cook until squash starts to soften. Add the cooked beans and bring back to a simmer for a few minutes and serve.

This recipe was inspired by Al Ramsay, Marietta, GA

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