My favorite revolutionary year-round bean soup.

I’m really into beans. They’re cheap, cute, loaded with fiber and protein, easy to cook and an excellent cold-weather food that even works when it’s 91°, like today. And so I’d like to share my recipe for Marcy’s Revolutionary Bean Soup, which gets its name from the instant freeze-dried pinto beans that don’t require an overnight soak or any of the typical complicated hoo-hah you’d expect with dried beans. Enjoy!

• 8 cups water
• 3 cups instant pinto beans from Shelf Reliance
• 4 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon chicken base
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• chopped fresh cilantro
• ½ cup freeze-dried diced carrots*
• ¼ cup freeze-dried diced celery*
• ¼ cup freeze-dried chopped onions*
• salt and cayenne pepper to taste
• ¼ cup ketchup (add during final 10 minutes)

Bring water to a boil in a large kettle. Add the beans and remaining ingredients (except for the ketchup) and simmer uncovered for about 40 minutes. Stir in the ketchup and simmer for an additional 10 or 15 minutes. *I order my freeze-dried veggies from Shelf Reliance. If you substitute fresh you’ll have to double the pre-ketchup cooking time.

Sam and I love this stuff. Don’t tell anybody, but we never invite company when it’s bean soup night because there wouldn’t be enough for us. Thank you.