Vegan Spanish Bean Soup

I loved this soup as a child, but traditionally it’s made with ham hock and chorizo—foods that are no longer a part of my diet. I’ve created this vegan version to satisfy my nostalgia for the Cuban food I grew up eating. To get the most flavor, I recommend making this a day ahead of when you plan to eat it or in the early morning to enjoy at dinner. 

The recipe below results in a thinner broth than its meaty counterpart. For a thicker version, purée a cup of the soup towards the end of the cooking time, or tear up a handful of day-old bread into the broth while it’s cooking. The bread will separate and thicken the soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried garbanzos/chickpeas (or 2 cans of garbanzos/chickpeas, drained and rinsed.)

• 1 large potato or several small potatoes, diced 

• ½ cup olive oil, divided

• 1 onion, diced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 4 cups vegetable broth or water

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• a pinch of saffron (6-8 threads) or 1 teaspoon of ground annatto seeds

• salt + pepper

• two big handfuls of spinach leaves (chard, kale, beet tops or other greens will also work)

• 1-2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

1. If using dried beans, soak the beans for 8 hours or overnight in a large pot of water. The water should cover the beans by 2 inches.

2. After soaking, drain the beans, put them back in the pot, and add fresh water to cover the beans by 3 inches. Bring to a boil on high heat. With a large spoon, remove the white froth that rises to the surface, and lower heat to a simmer. Partially cover the pot, and simmer for 1 hour.

3. Add about 1 tsp of salt and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes or until the beans are tender. [Note: if using canned beans, skip 1-3]

4. Drain the beans. If using fresh beans, be sure to keep the liquid. It will help to add flavor to your broth.

5. Place saffron thread in a cup of hot water and set aside.

6. In a separate pot, heat 4 tbs of olive over medium heat, sauté the diced onion for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

7. Add beans, potatoes, and smoked paprika and stir.

8. Add vegetable broth or water and bring to a boil. [Note: If you reserved the liquid from cooking the beans, replace 1-2 cups of the broth/water with the bean liquid.

9. Add salt, pepper, and saffron water. Partially cover the pot, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour.

10. Add greens and simmer for several minutes or until the greens are tender.

11. Turn off heat, add vinegar, and remaining olive oil and cover with a lid.

The hard part: wait to eat. Several hours will do, but if you have the patience to let the soup cool before refrigerating to reheat the next day, you will be rewarded with a richer flavor.