Ingredients:
Soup
3 tablespoonscanola oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 stalk celery, diced
4 sprigsfresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 vanilla bean
4 cups(620 grams) cooked Tepary Beans, recipe follows
2 acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 quartsvegetable stock, or as needed
2 tablespoonscrème fraîche, or as needed, optional
2 tablespoonsagave nectar, or as needed, optional
Tepary Beans
1 pound(455 grams) dried tepary beans
2 carrots, trimmed and halved
2 stalks celery, halved
1 medium onion, peeled and halved
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Directions:
In a large, heavy-bottom large pot over low heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, celery, thyme, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Split the vanilla bean and, with a sharp knife, scrape the inside of the bean and remove the seeds. Add the seeds to the pot. Sweat the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they are soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the tepary beans and acorn squash and cover with the stock. Add more stock if necessary.
Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the acorn squash is fork-tender, about another 5 minutes. Note: You may need to add more liquid (stock); the beans and squash should be 50 percent of the amount of stock in the pot. Adjust the seasoning if necessary, remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs, and remove from the heat. Garnish each bowl with 1 teaspoon crème fraîche and 1 teaspoon agave nectar, if using, just before serving. This soup can be refrigerated for three to four days or frozen for four to six months.
In a large pot, add the beans, carrots, celery, onion, salt, and pepper. Cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and allow to simmer for 1 hour, or until there isn’t any bite to the beans. Note: While cooking the beans, keep some additional hot water on hand and add more when the level gets low. Remove from the heat, separate the beans, discarding the vegetables, and set the beans aside until ready to use. Cooked beans can be refrigerated for three to five days.