“Delicious Butter Bean, Kale, and Potato Soup”

Here is a great recipe for anyone who wants something hearty to fill them up and keep them going. Full of the great flavor of butter beans, kale, and potatoes. And the wonderful nutrition of kale to give your immune system a big shot in the arm. And this Whole-Foods Plant-Base Recipe is quick and simple and will do your body good. Along with a nice salad, this is a full spectrum meal.

Ingredients:

4 - Cups of Cooked Organic Russet Potatoes - Cut into Large Pieces

2 - Cups of Cooked Organic Butter Beans

4 - Cups of Organic Kale or Spinach - Chopped

2 - Cups of Organic Cherry Tomatoes - Cut in Half - In different colors if possible

3 - Organic Salt-Free Veggie Bouillon Cubes

1 - Large Organic Yellow Onion - Chopped

8 - Cloves of Organic Garlic - Minced

Enough Filtered Water to Cover Everything

Salt and Pepper to Taste

(Optional) - A bit of hot sauce if you like it spicy

In a large soup pot sauté the onions and garlic until translucent. Then add all the rest of the ingredients except the kale and simmer until all the flavors blend, usually about 30 to 40 minutes. But don’t overcook because everything is already cooked. Next, turn off the heat and add the chopped kale and cover for 15 minutes. Then salt and pepper to taste and it’s read to serve.

Let cool and place in a nice big bowl and garnish with the cherry tomatoes.

Serves 12 people or 5 or 6 big guys who are hungry.

Health Benefits of Organic Beans

Beans are Important for a Long Life

There are many cultures around the world that have a predominance of people who live to be 100 years old or older. This includes Okinawa Japan, Nicoya Costa Rica, Ikaria Greece, some groups in India, South American, Asia, and many more places around the world. In general, they have varied diets and are totally different from one another. But there is one thing that stands out in all their diets no matter where they live, what their cultural differences they have, and what climate they live in. The one thing that’s the same in all of these cultures is that they all eat lots of legumes or beans. Not only that, most of these cultures are agrarian based societies which eat plant based diets.

The Healing Power of Beans –  Beans are the one thing that holds all of these Centurion groups of people together. Legumes are central to life, they create lots of protein, cleans the body, cleanse the colon, and give life to probiotic bacteria in our gut. And it’s been shown that the more fiber we eat the more good bacteria we have in our gut thus we are healthier because probiotic bacteria improve our immune system and also helps to prevent depression.

None of these Centurion cultures ate the same types of beans, some loved garbanzo beans, others lentils, some soybeans, and others pink beans and more. But in general it really didn’t matter what beans or legumes they were eating, it’s just the fact that they did consume lots of beans.

Studies show that people who eat as little as a 1/2 cup of beans daily reduce their mortality rate by up to 34% which is pretty amazing.

Three Causes of Premature Death – Heart Disease, Diabetes, and Cancer 

Healing Cardiovascular Disease – It’s been shown that those who switch to plant based sources of nutrition, and especially fiber and protein rich beans have a reversal of their cardiovascular challenges and premature death caused by heart attacks and strokes. Legumes are full of plant sterols which help to remove cholesterol and help with inflammation thus preventing cardiovascular disease.

One cup of legumes contains up to 16 grams of total fiber and ups to 7 grams of soluble fiber. This creates 70% of the daily fiber allowance we need to stay healthy and stave off heart attacks. In fact, plant based diets not only help to prevent heart attacks in general, they even help those people who’ve had 1, 2, or 3 heart attacks in the past and want to keep from having another. Angiograms with people who have vascular blockages building up, when put on a whole foods plant based diet completely reverse their cardiovascular disease— Amazing!

Healing Diabetes – There have been many studies showing that animal protein intake is directly related to diabetes. And being on a plant based diet rich in fiber, with lots of plant based protein, plant sterols, and lots of antioxidants (Black Beans contain more antioxidants than Blueberries) and choosing plant based low glycemic foods can heal diabetes. The glycemic index of pinto beans is almost 39 or 39%, while white wheat flour has a glycemic index of 100 or 100% which is not good. And the total amount of grams of carbs times the glycemic index gives us the total glycemic load. A 1/2 cup of pinto beans contains 22 grams of carbs, times 39% which is the glycemic index = 9 a very low glycemic load. Thus, beans are great for those who have diabetes and want to control their blood sugar and start transitioning to getting off of insulin, getting off of medications and start working with a whole foods plant based diet.

Cancer – Studies show that those who eat a fiber rich diet have a much lower chance of coming down with cancer, and especially colon and rectal cancer. And beans and legumes are full of fiber and antioxidants that help to prevent and heal cancer. In fact, in laboratory studies, it’s been shown that cancer can be turned on and off by just changing diet. Cancers are activated with animal based proteins and put into neutral and negated with plant based diets. Studies such as the “China Study” show that those who eat lots of plant based nutrition full of fiber have a much lower chance of coming down with cancer compared to diets rich in animal protein. Animal protein creates an acidic reaction it the body, while plant based diet and protein create an alkaline based reaction in the body. Acid creates inflammation, and inflammation leads to disease, and sometimes that disease expresses itself as cancer. Thus eating plant based diets rich in fiber and plant sterols such as beans is essential for great health.

Thus if a person really wants to live to be 100 years of old. And wants to have health, vitality, and be active life even into their later years past 100… then plant based diets full of beans are essential for great health. Beans are simple and when it comes to health simple is the only way to go.

Remember - Regular beans contain up to 6 cancer causing chemicals, 12 hormone-disrupting chemicals, and 10 other disease causing chemicals.

Eat Organic and Stay Healthy

Enjoy this delicious butter bean soup!

Dr. Paul Haider - Master Herbalist