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Three Bean Minestrone



I like to make a batch of this for the week, especially in winter. According to Dan Buettner who founded, researched and documented the 5 Blue Zones around the world, one of them being in Sardinia, it was here that the world’s longest-lived family, (9 siblings, collective age 851) ate this soup every day of their lives! It is full of fibe, protein and polyphenols, and contains 7 different vegetables.


  • 150g each of any 3 dried beans such as cannellini, pinto, garbanzo, kidney (total 450g)

  • 1.5 cups cubed sweet potatoes

  • 6 - 8 cups of water or veg stock

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 5 stalks celery

  • 5 carrots, chopped

  • 8 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 tsp dried oregano

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 tsp black pepper

  • 1 - 2 cans chopped tomatoes

  • Salt to taste


Optional: Add other fresh vegetables such as courgette, cabbage, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli florets


  1. Soak dried beans overnight in plenty of water.

  2. Sauté all vegetables in olive oil over low heat until onions are clear.

  3. Add beans, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, oregano, bay leaf and slow cook until beans are tender. I let it cook on extremely low heat all day adjusting water so that it’s thicker than a soup and thinner than a stew. 

  4. If you like, finish with chopped avocado when serving.

  5. Enjoy throughout the week or freeze leftovers, preferably in glass containers.

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