This fibre rich bean soup is easy and perfect as those nights draw in. Packed full of goodness and made from store cupboard staples it’s winner every time. Make a batch at the weekend and store it in the fridge for a few days so you’ve something hot, tasty on hand whenever you need it. With crunchy, toasted bread on the side, you’re all set to go!
Bean Health Benefits
One of the great health benefits of many beans is that they are much lower in fat content than many foods. This combined with their good complex carbohydrate and fibre content makes them an excellent food to include in your diet regularly. They are also a very good source of folic acid (good for pregnant women), iron and potassium (for energy)
The major health benefit of beans is their fibre which helps reduce cholesterol and preventing blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal. This makes them a good choice for those suffering from diabetes and insulin resistance.
Beans are good for heart health not only due to their fibre content but also due to the significant amounts of antioxidants, folic acid and vitamin B6 they contain. Folic acid and Vitamin B6 help lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is an intermediate product in an important metabolic process called the methylation cycle. High, elevated levels of homocysteine are a risk factor for heart attack and stroke and are found in 20%-40% of patients with heart disease.
Red kidney beans are rated as the beans which offer the highest level of antioxidant protection – just after blueberries!
Beans also protect against cancer. Studies have shown that women who had a higher intake of lentils or beans, in general, had a reduced incidence of breast cancer.
Tomato Health Benefits
The tomatoes in this fibre rich bean soup provide another source of cancer protection due to their lycopene content. This red carotene is protective against breast, colon, lung, skin and prostate cancers.
It also reduces the risk of heart disease, cataracts and macular degeneration. Lycopene prevents these diseases by neutralising harmful oxygen-free radicals before they can do any damage to structures.
Generally the redder the tomato the more lycopene it contains and helpfully lycopene appears reasonably stable during cooking and food processing. This means that you can often get more lycopene from tomato paste/juice than you would fresh tomatoes as processing frees more lycopene from the plant’s cells.
What a great reason to stock up on tins of tomatoes!
Dig into this recipe for fibre rich bean soup below – it is delicious and healthy. Great for the winter months ahead!
Fibre Rich Bean Soup
- Saucepan, chopping board, knife
- 75 grams Pancetta, cubed
- 1 Red onion, chopped
- 1 420g Tin of Mixed beans
- 1 400g Tin of Chopped tomatoes
- 2 cloves Garlic, sliced
- 600 ml Vegetable stock
- 1 tspn Mixed herbs, dried
- 1 tspn Chill flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
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Fry the pancetta in a saucepan until slightly golden
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Remove the pancetta and to the same pan, add some olive oil and the chopped onion. Cook gently for about 10 minutes
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Add the remaing ingredients (apart from the pancetta) and bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes
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Add the pancetta, cover the pan slightly and cook for a further 10 minutes
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Season with salt and pepper to your taste, serve and enjoy!