White Bean Soup with Salad Salsa

I got this recipe from a friend. I believe it originally came from a cookbook called HeartSmart. It is very good and good for you. For a quick meal, substitute canned beans. I have also substituted chicken stock for the vegetable stock with no problems. The salsa is best in the summer when there are "real" tomatoes!

• Ready In: 4 hrs 55 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• Soup

• 1 1⁄2 cups  dried white kidney beans or 1 1⁄2 cups navy beans
• 2  teaspoons olive oil
• 3  cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1  onion, finely chopped
• 1⁄4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 8  cups  vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
• 1  large potato, peeled and diced
• 1⁄2 cup  small pasta or 1⁄2 cup rice or 1⁄2 cup couscous
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
•  salt

• Salad Salsa

• 2  large tomatoes, chopped and drained
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped fresh arugula or 1⁄2 cup watercress
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh chives or 2  tablespoons green onions
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh basil
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley
• 1  clove garlic, minced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
•  salt

Directions

1. Cover beans with water and soak for 3 hours or overnight in fridge.
2. Rinse and drain well.
3. Heat oil in large pot.
4. Add garlic, onions and hot pepper flakes and cook for a few minutes without browning.
5. Add beans and stock.
6. Bring to boil.
7. Lower heat and simmer gently, covered for 1 hour or until beans are tender.
8. Add potato and cook for 10 minutes or until tender.
9. Puree soup in blender or food processor in small batches.
10. Return to saucepan and thin with additional stock or water until soup reaches desired consistency.
11. Add pasta or rice and cook for 10 min.
12. Add salt& pepper.
13. Pasta or rice with thicken soup slightly, so thin soup again if you wish.
14. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
15. Combine all salsa ingredients.
16. Serve soup in flat bowls with large spoonful of salsa in centre.