Adzuki Bean Soup with Squash and Parsnip

Adzuki beans are small and very compact, with a deep reddish-brown colour. These tiny beans are a staple in the Far East. They are revered in Japan for their healing properties, are low in fat and reputed to be more digestible than most other beans, as well as rich sources of potassium and iron and B Vitamins (not B12).

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Ingredients

6 cups filtered water
1 cup adzuki beans soaked overnight night (or used canned organic beans)
2 stamp size pieces kombu seaweed
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced squash
1 cup diced parsnip
Freshly grated ginger juice to taste (approximately 1 tbsp)
Shoyu/soy sauce to taste

Method

Discard the water from the soaking beans and add fresh filtered water. Bring water with adzuki beans and kombu to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat to medium and cook for 30-45 minutes until beans are soft.

(Discard this part of the recipe if you are using canned beans – see below.)

Add the onion and carrot and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add the squash and parsnip and cook for 15 minutes more or until soft. Stir in the ginger juice and add shoyu to taste.

If using canned beans: Place the cooked beans along with the onion and carrot and cook for 10 minutes in 2 cups of water. Add the squash, parsnip and 1 cup of water and cook for a further 10 minutes. Season the soup to taste with ginger juice and shoyu and serve with some crusty sourdough bread.

According to a recent study, regular bean eaters are 22 percent less likely to be overweight and have smaller waistlines than those who don’t eat them. Beans release energy slowly into the body, making them a great weight loss food. They are also high in protein and fibre, which satiates the appetite and helps keep you full for longer periods of time.