Recipe - Buckwheat Soup with black beans

Summary:

Buckwheat can be used as an alternative to rice. Buckwheat is high in fiber and has high nutritional value and good medicinal uses. Buckwheat helps prevents gallstones, high blood pressure, type II diabetes and so on. Buckwheat protein binds cholesterol tightly, helps reducing plasma cholesterol in people with excess in their system. Source: Wikipedia

According to ayurved, the grain and bean ratio should be 2:1 ratio, for easy digestion. I do it 1:1 ratio, keeping the growing kids in mind. Soup can be made with millet grain or amaranth grain as well, instead of buckwheat groats. Beans of choice can be used - Black beans boiled, or adzuki beans or black eyed beans etc. Whole bean is high in protein. Vegetables of choice - carrots, green beans, butternut squash, chard, spinach, red cabbage, green cabbage etc.

Buckwheat soup can be made with minimal vegetables too. Its ones choice of vegetables and availability of vegetables that makes the soup delicious. Below is the recipe, given by my friend, who is into health foods and cooks with estimation. As usual measurements and choice of vegetables are my addition. My family loved this soup, my four year old asked me to make this soup more often :-)

I give this as lunch to my 7 year old, she is not a big fan of vegetable soups. But to be one among the other kids with a western menu, she takes it with bread and butter in the side. I give her a choice, soup or Indian food!!! Her choice has always been soup :-)

Ingredients:

• Buckwheat Groats - 1/2 cup
• Black beans - 1/2 cup (presoak overnight)
• Onion - 1/4 cup
• Celery - 1/2 cup
• Bell pepper - 1/2 cup
• Yam - 1/2 cup
• Green beans - 1/2 cup
• Tomato - 1 cup (1 large tomato)
• Spinach - 1/2 cup (frozen, fresh greens are better)
• Garlic - 2 or 3 cloves (according to taste)
• Bay Leaf - 1 small
• Whole Cumin - 1/2 teaspoon
• Water - 3 + 3 cups (3 cups to cook black beans)
• Salt - 1/2 + 1/2 teaspoon (1/2 teaspoon to add to black beans)
• Black Pepper - 1/4 teaspoon
• Ground Cumin - 1/2 teaspoon
• Butter/Ghee/Olive Oil - 1 teaspoon
• Lemon Juice - according to taste (optional)

Process

Wash and clean black beans, soak them overnight. Add 3 cups of water and salt to the black beans. Pressure cook it for at least 8 whistles. If you are using slow cooker, start cooking before 10 -12 hours on high setting before preparing the soup. Add hot water when cooking in the slow cooker to save an hour in cooking.

Preheat butter or olive oil in a soup pot or pressure cooker, splutter whole cumin seeds, add bay leaf. Add finely cut onions, celery and garlic and stir till aromatic.

Add all veggies, tomatoes, buckwheat groats and boiled beans. Add ground cumin, black pepper, salt and water.

Add 3 cups of water, bring to boil, lower heat and cover the dish, let it cook until buckwheat is fully cooked (20minutes). Turn off heat.

Turn off heat. Add little lemon juice (optional). Serve hot with bread or any kind of pasta.

Preparation time 30minutes (apart from cooking black beans)
# Servings: 4 - 6

Recipe help by: Monica