Simple Vegetarian 13 Bean Soup Recipe and Video

Name: Simple Vegetarian 13 Bean Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 15 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1 small onion, diced; 1/4 tsp salt; 2 tsp chili powder; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 2 cups dried mixed beans or 13 bean soup mix; 15 ounces can tomato sauce; 8 1/2 cups broth (vegetable or chicken); 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped - optional as garnish

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This is a classic and simple 13 bean soup recipe for when you don't have a lot of ingredients hanging around the house. Plus 13 bean soup is uber tasty, filling, and satisfying.

Side View of 13 bean soup in a red tomato sauce on a white wood table. side view. white bowl. Thyme sprigs in the back ground

I use a vegetarian 13 bean soup mix from Bob's Red Mill, but any bean mixture would work perfect. There are also many 16 bean soup mixes that can be used with this vegetarian bean soup recipe.

Different beans generally take different cooking times. Smaller beans like navy or black beans seem to take especially longer than larger ones like fava. The lentils may break down and make it very creamy while other beans give it more soft but chewy substance.

All in all, the beans breaking down in different ways is perfectly normal and gives the soup texture. There is no way around getting every bean in 13 bean soup to have the same "chew factor". It's how it's supposed to be!

Top down view of 13 bean soup ingredients on white table. Bowl of various colored and size dried beans, tomato sauce, diced onions, fresh oregano sprigs, bowl of chili powder, bowl of salt, bowl of broth.

Soaked vs. Unsoaked Beans for 13 Bean Soup

Either way works. Soaking the bean mix softens the beans and minimally reduces the cooking time because it "rehydrates" the beans.

I like to soak the 13 bean soup mix over night (if I remember!) to reduce cooking time from 2 - 2 ½ hours to ~ 1 ½ hours. BUT, the bean soup recipe below is for cooking the beans without soaking on the stovetop. Because, not all of us have the forethought to think about it the night before.

To soak the 13 bean mix: cover beans in 3" of water for ~ 8 hours at room temperature. Put a lid on them but leave it cracked a lot (25%) so gas can escape and so the bean liquid doesn't spill over.

The partial lid is just so to minimize any flying bugs getting in but it's not necessary. If beans are going to be soaked much longer than 8 hours then refrigerate them

Troubleshooting 13 Bean Soup:

13 Bean soup too thick? Add a little broth or water. Soup too thin? Let it cool down. Bean soup always thickens as it cools.

Don't have broth in your pantry? Use water and add salt and dried herbs to taste.

Craving some meat in your bean soup? Add some ham or cooked bacon to this bean soup recipe.

Wanna add a little more umami? Add some shredded Parmesan cheese as a garnish.

Wanna add more bulk to your bean soup? Serve it with rice and an avocado or some crusty bread or toast.

Top View of 13 bean soup in a red tomato sauce on a white wood table. white bowl. dry beans in the back ground

13 Bean Soup Mix Recipe FAQS:

Do I need to soak the beans before cooking?

Nope. Soaking the beans reduces the cooking time by about 20% generally speaking so don't sweat it unless trying to save a little cooking time.

Can I salt the beans at the beginning of cooking? I heard they won't get tender if I salt them too early.

Salt them! I've tried it both ways and thought the beans salted early and often made the better bean soup.

Can I cook the beans in the soaking water?

Yup. It produces flavorful soup

Can 13 bean soup be made in a slow cooker or instantpot?

13 bean soup can also be made in a slow cooker or crockpot on low for ~ 8 hours or in the instant-pot (sorry don't know exact setting 🙂 but I prefer just using a sturdy pot on the stovetop.

Things In My Kitchen:

Sturdy Cast Iron Stock Pot - 6 quart. You'll never have to buy another again.
Better Than Bouillon - I'm trying to cut down on the weight of my groceries and also being conscious of the amount of waste, either in the trash or recycling. I love this easy organic soup base.

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2 white bowls of brown red bean soup with chopped green herb garnish. Top down view on wood cutting board with two spoons and flowery napkin.

Simple Vegetarian 13 Bean Soup

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5 from 1 review

EatSimpleFood.com

This is a simple vegetarian 13 bean soup recipe for when you don't have a lot of ingredients hanging around the house, plus it's uber tasty, filling, and satisfying.

Author: beckie
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 6
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop / Crockpot / InstantPot
Cuisine: International
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups dried mixed beans or 13 bean soup mix
15 ounces can tomato sauce
8 ½ cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
2 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped - optional as garnish

Instructions

Bring a stockpot to medium high heat and add the oil. When hot, add the onions and the salt (the salt helps break down the onion quicker).
Cook ~ 4-7 minutes or until translucent (turn down the heat if they start to brown).
Stir in the chili powder and garlic.
Add beans, tomato sauce, and broth.
Stir and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer ~ 2- 2 ½ hours covered or until all sizes and varieties of beans are soft and tender. Remember to stir occasionally. The soup will reduce as it cooks, so consider adding water in ½ -1 cup increments if needed at ~ 1-2 hours in to make sure it's not to thick.
Add salt to taste and garnish with fresh oregano. Happy Eating! Beckie

Notes

Don't have broth? Use water and add salt to taste.
Wanna add a little more umami? Add some shredded Parmesan cheese as a garnish.
Soup too thick? Add a little broth or water. Soup to thin? Let it cool down. It will thicken as it cools.

What My Man Says

"This recipe is super easy to prep, and once the onions are cooked, everything just simmers on the stovetop."

"One thing I (re)learned while making this dish is that with anything that simmers / cooks for a long time, stirring becomes more important as time goes on. After the first 1½ hours of simmering I found I needed to stir about every 15 minutes to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot."

"And since not all the different beans in the bean mix will cook at the same rate, some will be softer and others a bit more 'al dente,' but that certainly doesn't detract from the delicious flavor!"

Serving Suggestion

A slice of bread (or fried bread) or a parmesan crisp for dipping is a great way to enjoy the flavors in this soup. Or you can pair it with some crunch from a roasted vegetable or a (antipasto) salad.

Simple Vegetarian 13 Bean Soup