White Bean Celery Soup with Fresh Sage
Serves 4
- 1 1/4 cups French navy, Great Northern, navy, or marrow beans
- 6 cups water
- 4" piece of kombu (sea vegetable)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 6 stalks celery, choppped
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage (not packed) or 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- 1 tablespoon tamari or tamari shoyu soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Soak beans in water 6–8 hours. Discard soaking water and replace with 4 cups fresh water or enough to cover the beans plus an additional 1" depth above the surface. Add kombu and pressure cook beans for 25 minutes (or cook on the stove-top for 2 hours). Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet and sauté onion, celery, and sage, seasoned with tamari, for 20 minutes. Add vegetables and any accumulated cooking liquid to the cooked beans. Stir in grated lemon peel and allow flavors to mingle for 10 minutes before serving.
