Dutch Bullet Bean Soup with Indian Spices

With the rainy weather persisting, I was craving a a bean soup with a rich pallet of spices. A bunch of spinach in the refrigerator and a box of strained Pomi tomatoes in the pantry were the inspiration for an rich bean soup with Indian spices. Of our selection of CSA heirloom beans from Lonesome Whistle Farm, the small Dutch bullets seemed the best suited for this dish, recalling small mung beans. 

For spices, I used a combination of cumin, coriander, turmeric, and mustard powder. I sauteed chopped onion in oil until soft, then added the spices until fragrant, and then diluted in the strained tomatoes, 2 cups of Dutch bullet beans, and 6 cups of water. 

I left the beans to simmer on very low heat, partially covered, until they were tender, about 3 hours.

When we were almost ready for dinner, I washed and chopped the spinach,

and prepared a tarka of hot oil with fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, and cayenne pepper. With the heat off, I stirred in the spinach and spicy oil, and we enjoyed warm bean soup to ward off the drizzly weather. 

Dutch Bullet Bean Soup with Indian Spices

2 cups Dutch bullet beans, rinsed 

1 small onion, chopped

4 Tbsp neutral oil such as grape seed, divide use

26 ounces strained tomatoes (such as Pomi)

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp mustard powder

salt to taste

6 cups water

1 bunch spinach

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1. Sautee the chopped onion in 2 Tbsp oil until soft. Add the ground cumin, turmeric, coriander, and mustard powder and cook for about a minute, until fragrant. Add the strained tomatoes, beans, and 6 cups of water. Allow to simmer on very low heat, partially covered, until the beans are soft, about 3 hours. Add plenty of salt to taste.

2. Rinse and densely chop the spinach leaves. Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil in a small pan and add the fenugreek and cumin seeds and cayenne and cook until fragrant. Turn of the heat for the beans and stir in the fresh spinach and spicy oil. Enjoy.

Other recipes for heirloom beans:

Arikara beans with tomatillo pork

Ireland Creek Annie Baked Beans
Flageolet bean salad with fennel, orange, and tapenade
Arikara beans with roasted fennel and peppers
Jacob's Cattle bean and ham stew
Calypso beans with ginger and black mustard seeds
Ireland Creek Annie bean bruschetta
Lemon and herb Dutch bullet beans
Minty green flageolet beans
Dutch bullet beans and roasted squash soup
Rio Zape beans with toasted chile sauce
Arikara bean gratin
Calypso bean and leek soup

Lemon and Herb Dutch Bullet Beans

The Lonesome Whistle Farm's description of their Dutch bullet beans says they make their own cream sauce when cooked. In my previous preparation, I'd diluted them into soup, but I wondered if this sauciness could be used to make a bean version of a risotto. One of my favorite risotto recipes is a lemony and herb infused version from Patricia Well's Trattoria. I used this as the inspiration for these beans.

First I sauteed some chopped leeks in olive oil for a mild onion flavor.  

In my slow cooker I combined the leeks, 2 cups of Dutch bullet beans, 4 cups of chicken broth, red pepper flakes, the peel of a lemon, and several springs of rosemary and thyme. I let these cook for about 2 hours, until soft and creamy. To finish them off, I added the juice of the lemon. The beans had an assertive lemony, herb flavor and were delicious served with garlicy sauteed Italian kale and chicken sausages.

Lemon and Herb Dutch Bullet Bean "Risotto"

2 cups (1 lb) dutch bullet beans, or substitute small white kidney beans, rinsed

1 leek, white and light green part washed and shopped
2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 lemon

2 sprigs rosemary

4 springs thyme

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

salt to taste


Sautee the chopped leeks and red pepper flakes in olive oil until soft. Add the stock, rinsed dried beans, herbs, and the peel of the lemon (in one strip if possible, for easier retrieval). Cook on high in a slow cooker until the beans are soft and have formed a cream sauce, about two hours. Add a little more liquid if it looks too dry, but you don't want the final dish to be too soupy. Finish by removing the lemon rind and herb stems, stirring in the juice from the lemon and salting to taste. Serve with grated parmesan cheese, if desired.


Other heirloom bean recipes:
Minty green flageolet beans
Dutch bullet beans and roasted squash soup

Rio Zape Beans with toasted chile sauce

Arikara bean gratin

Calypso bean and leek soup

Dutch Bullet Bean and Roasted Squash Soup

Enough testosterone-driven, world domination food fare. Let's talk about what to cook when it's cold and drizzly outside and everyone in the house has the sniffles. The answer of course is soup. And if you have approximately 23 pounds of heirloom beans in the cellar, the answer of course is bean soup. We also had a nice selection of winter vegetables from the farmers market at the Eugene Holiday Market, including a delicata squash and a kohlrabi. I usually think of a bean and vegetable soup as some variant of a minestrone, but I was inspired by a pumpkin and white bean soup from the Green's Cookbook that incorporated beans into a creamy squash soup. I thought the Lonesome Whistle Farm Dutch bullet beans, a small golden variety, might go well with the delicata squash roasted with herbs (similar to a preparation by Jamie Oliver). 

My son helped me brush the squash quarters with olive oil and sprinkle on fennel seeds, herbs de Provence, and red pepper flakes, and we roasted these for about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, we simmered the squash seeds and pulp in 4 cups of chicken broth to make a quick stock.

I chopped onion, carrots, and kohlrabi and sauteed these in some olive oil until soft. Then I added the squash stock and the roasted squash, scooped from the peel, and simmered these until the vegetables were very soft.

I'd soaked 1 cup of the Dutch bullet beans during the morning, and now I simmered them on very gentle heat with a couple sprigs of thyme and 2 cups of water for about an hour until they were tender. Then I pureed the squash and vegetables with an immersion blender, and mixed in the beans with their liquid. To finish the soup, I added a drizzle of balsamic vinegar for sharpness to balance the sweetness of the squash. The creamy texture of the pureed vegetables with the roasted squash and herb flavors and a slight bitterness from the kohlrabi, contrasted nicely with the small, round, meaty beans.

I'd prepared a swiss chard and mushroom quiche for brunch (also adapted from a Green's Cookbook recipe, but with added leftover mushrooms from Eric's shooter sandwich and almonds instead of pine nuts because of the latter's short supply). This was the perfect accompaniment to a restorative soup.

Dutch bullet bean and roasted squash soup

1 cup (1/2 lb) Dutch bullet beans (could substitute small white kidney beans)

1 delicata squash

1 onion

1 kohlrabi

3 small or 2 medium carrots

3 cloves garlic

4 cups chicken stock

olive oil

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp herbs de Provence

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

a few sprigs of thyme

salt and pepper to taste

drizzle of balsamic vinegar

1. Soak the beans for 4-8 hours until the plump up. Then change the water and simmer them with a few springs of thyme and 2 cups of water until soft, about 1 hour. Discard the thyme stems.

2. Halve squash and scoop out seeds and pulp into a sauce pan with 4 cups of chicken stock. Simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes. Brush squash quarters with olive oil and sprinkle over fennel seeds, herbs de Provence, and red pepper flakes. Roast in an oven or toaster over at 450 degrees until they start to brown a little and are soft through, about 25 minutes. When cool enough to handle, scoop the roasted squash from the skin.

3. Meanwhile peel and chop the onion, carrots, kohlrabi, and garlic. Saute in olive oil in a dutch oven until soft. Strain the squash stock into the pot and add the roasted squash. Simmer on low heat until the vegetables are very soft. Puree with an immersion blender, and add the cooked beans with their liquid. Drizzle in a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and adjust seasonings. 

Here's the recipe for the Green's Swiss chard tart.


And here are some other recipes for heirloom beans:
Rio Zape Beans with Toasted Chile Sauce
Arikara bean gratin 
Calypso bean and leek soup