Butterbean Soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb. dry butterbeans (the big white ones preferably)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 2 large carrots, thinly sliced in rounds
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 to 2 tbls. chopped parsley
• 6 to 7 cups water
• 1-1/2 tsps. salt
• 1-1/2 tsps. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper
• 1-1/2 tsps. brown sugar

Directions

1. Rinse beans and set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet or soup pot. Sauté onion, celery and carrots until soft.

3. Add garlic and parsley and continue cooking until parsley wilts, which is pretty fast.

4. Add water, salt, black pepper and red pepper, stir everything together and bring to a slow boil. Pour in beans and bring back to a slow boil.

5. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about an hour. Add water as needed.

6. Check seasonings, which means you must TASTE and season to taste. Add brown sugar plus more salt and pepper if needed. This dish will have a hot pepper taste at first, but as the beans soften, they absorb the “hot” of the pepper and the salt.

7. Continue cooking until the beans are soft and the broth is slightly creamy. Serve hot from the stove. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.