• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Free Bonus
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Boulder Locavore®

Easy Flavorful Recipes for Everyday

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Free Bonus
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Free Bonus
    • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Soups » Anasazi Bean and Roasted Chile Soup recipe

    LAST UPDATED: February 4, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: February 3, 2011 By Toni Dash 12 Comments

    Anasazi Bean and Roasted Chile Soup recipe

    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    calypso bean soup cookbook
    Last fall I introduced you to cookbook author, Lesa Heebner (more about Lesa Heebner here).  In a nutshell she lives in Southern California and was leading small cooking classes in her home featuring fresh, local, seasonal ingredients long before people were sporting t-shirt with slogans encouraging the same behavior.  She’d travel out to different farms to retrieve the freshest ingredients for her classes.
    A friend introduced me to Lesa’s cookbooks about 5 years ago and it was my first overt exposure to thinking seasonally and locally about my food.  Such a simple concept but I did not focus on it as I do today.  During her time of cooking Lesa published two cookbooks.  One, Cooking with the Seasons, is organized by season and meal combinations.  The second, Calypso Bean Soup: And Other Savory Recipes Featuring Heirloom Beans from the West, is a wonderland of heirloom bean based dishes, many varieties I’d never heard of.  Rattlesnake beans, Hopi Woman beans, Buckskin beans, Appaloosa beans.   Do you not love it?  My very favorite part of this cookbook is that she shares the background of the beans in each recipe.  It’s enchanting!  I feel I’m eating a lineage knowing the background of each bean.
    I love beans in the winter.  They are such a filling protein and perfect alternative to meat.  Lesa also supplies a worth-the-price-of-admission tip with regard to the digestive ‘distress’ beans can introduce (in fact she has a few pages on making beans ‘friendly’).  She puts a strip of kombu seaweed in each bean recipe, which is removed before eating.  Who knew?  I have practiced this faithfully since my first reading.
    I had the pleasure of corresponding with Lesa Heebner in my quest to gain her permission to print some of her recipes.  She has moved on from professional culinary teaching to cooking for her own enjoyment coupled with a successful career in local politics (keeping up her commitment to preserving local resources just through different means).  Her recipes are timeless and delicious.  I’m happy to share one with you here.  I’ve always loved the flavor profiles emanating from the Southwest.  There is nothing like it.  This recipe totally delivers with layers of flavor and heat!
    anasazi beans
    Anasazi Bean and Roasted Chile Soup
    “Oh, what a story this pretty burgundy bean has!  Seems a few years ago an Anasazi bean was found at Mesa Verde, Arizona, near the cliff dwellings of the ancient tribe of Anasazi Indians.  (No one knows what these Indians called themselves – Anasazi is a Navajo word that means ‘ancient ones’).  Although said to be close to eight hundred years old, the story goes, when planted, this bean grew.  Most scientists say this is impossible, but perhaps not.  Many seeds used to have a coating that protected them from sprouting for many years, such as the locust plant seed, which waited as long as 460 years to pop up in ideal conditions.  Nowadays, though, bean seeds have lost that coating, and rely on humans to plant them each year.  The Anasazi bean was registered in the late 1980’s by Adobe Milling in Dove Creek, Colorado. I can’t think of another natural seed with a registered name, but Adobe Milling knew the appeal of a good romantic story when they heard one, and have done a great job popularizing this nutritious bean.
    The Anasazi bean is also sold under the names of Aztec bean, cave bean, New Mexico appaloosa, and Jacob’s cattle bean.  Interestingly enough, the Jacob’s cattle bean is known to have been in the Southwest in prehistoric times, but somehow it became a traditional bean of New England.
    By whatever name it’s known, this widely discussed bean has a sweeter taste than most beans of its size, and it has four times fewer complex sugars of gastric distress fame.  It also cooks faster than comparable beans, such as the pinto.  And if that isn’t enough, it makes fabulous soup.”
    INGREDIENTS
    ·         2 cups dried Anasazi beans, soaked* and drained
    ·         1-6 inch strip kombu seaweed
    ·         1 bay leaf
    ·         3 stalks celery, diced
    ·         1 large carrot, sliced
    ·         1 large yellow onion, diced
    ·         6 cloves garlic, finely minced
    ·         6 cups fresh water
    ·         1 large red bell pepper
    ·         3 anaheim (mild) , or poblano (hot) chilies
    ·         8 whole garlic cloves, skins on
    ·         1-15 ounce can diced tomatoes, plus juices
    ·         1-12 ounce beer
    ·         4 teaspoons pasilla or ancho chile powder
    ·         1 teaspoon ground cumin
    ·         ½ teaspoon ground thyme
    ·         ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
    ·         1 teaspoon salt
    ·         ½ teaspoon black pepper
    ·         1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce for garnish
    ·         Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
    1.       Put the beans in an 8 quart Dutch oven.  Add the kombu, bay leaf, celery, carrot, onion, garlic and fresh water.  Cook for 1 hour and discard the kombu.  Cook for 30 to 60 more minutes, or until the beans are tender.
    2.      Meanwhile, preheat the oven to Broil.  Roast the red bell pepper and chilies (or use jarred roasted red bells and canned mild green Ortega chilies).  When done, set aside.
    3.      Roast the garlic cloves in the skin: preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Put individual garlic cloves, skins on, on a baking sheet and bake for twenty to thirty minutes, or until soft.  When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skins from the garlic.
    4.      Meanwhile, add the tomatoes, plus juices, beer, pasilla or ancho chile powder, cumin, thyme, coriander, salt, black pepper, and soy sauce to the soup.  Cook at least 10 minutes longer.
    5.      Put the peppers/chilies and roasted garlic in the work bowl of a food processor.  Add the soup in batches and puree the peppers/chilies/garlic and two-thirds of the soup.  NOTE:  I have personally had leakage issues when adding soup to my food processor and would opt for an immersion blender in the soup pot if you have one.   Return to the pot and simmer for about 5 minutes more.  Taste, and adjust seasonings, if needed.  Serve hot, garnish with chopped cilantro.
    *Long soak:  put them in a bowl, cover them with water and soak 8 hours or overnight.  Quick soak: Put in a pot, cover with water, plus a few extra inches of water, cover.  Bring to a boil, turn off heat and allow to sit covered between 1 ½ to 4 hours. 
    Serves 10
    types of beans
    I ran across this website about beans online.  Gives some background about the history of different varieties.  Also a great online source of heirloom varieties I feel sure you have not heard of is Purcell Mountain Beans in Idaho.  They ship within Northern America!
    calypso bean soup cookbook

    Anasazi Bean and Roasted Chile Soup

    "By whatever name it’s known, this widely discussed bean has a sweeter taste than most beans of its size, and it has four times fewer complex sugars of gastric distress fame.  It also cooks faster than comparable beans, such as the pinto.  And if that isn’t enough, it makes fabulous soup.” - Lesa Heebner
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 153kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups dried Anasazi beans soaked* and drained
    • 1 6-inch strip kombu seaweed
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 3 stalks celery diced
    • 1 large carrot sliced
    • 1 large yellow onion diced
    • 6 cloves garlic finely minced
    • 6 cups fresh water
    • 1 large red bell pepper
    • 3 anaheim mild , or poblano (hot) chilies
    • 8 whole garlic cloves skins on
    • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes plus juices
    • 1 12-ounce beer regular or gluten-free
    • 4 teaspoons pasilla or ancho chile powder
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon ground thyme
    • ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce for garnish (use Tamari if gluten-free)
    • Chopped fresh cilantro optional

    Instructions

    • Put the beans in an 8 quart Dutch oven.  Add the kombu, bay leaf, celery, carrot, onion, garlic and fresh water.  Cook for 1 hour and discard the kombu. 
    • Cook for 30 to 60 more minutes, or until the beans are tender.
    • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to Broil.  Roast the red bell pepper and chilies (see notes below or use jarred roasted red bells and canned mild green Ortega chilies).  When done, set aside.
    • Roast the garlic cloves in the skin: preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Put individual garlic cloves, skins on, on a baking sheet and bake for twenty to thirty minutes, or until soft.  When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skins from the garlic.
    • Meanwhile, add the tomatoes, plus juices, beer, pasilla or ancho chile powder, cumin, thyme, coriander, salt, black pepper, and soy sauce to the soup.  Cook at least 10 minutes longer.
    • Put the peppers/chilies and roasted garlic in the work bowl of a food processor.  Add the soup in batches and puree the peppers/chilies/garlic and two-thirds of the soup.  NOTE:  I have personally had leakage issues when adding soup to my food processor and would opt for an immersion blender in the soup pot if you have one.   Return to the pot and simmer for about 5 minutes more.  Taste, and adjust seasonings, if needed.  Serve hot, garnish with chopped cilantro.

    Notes

    *Long soak:  put them in a bowl, cover them with water and soak 8 hours or overnight.  Quick soak: Put in a pot, cover with water, plus a few extra inches of water, cover.  Bring to a boil, turn off heat and allow to sit covered between 1 ½ to 4 hours.
    Roasting Peppers - this recipe on how to roast peppers will instruct on everything you need to know.
    Recipe from 'Calypso Bean Soup' by Lesa Heebner. Republished with permission.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 423mg | Potassium: 641mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1824IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 3mg
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!
    « Simple Seasonal Food: Homemade Applesauce (sugar-free!)
    Gluten Free Orange-Cardamom Three Layer Cake and The Bronx cocktail »

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutrition Coach and the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavore®. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her seasonal recipes bring excitement to the dining table for both gluten-free and gluten diners. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

    Free Email Course

    5 FAST & EASY 15-MINUTE RECIPES
    Spending too much time in the kitchen?
    These recipes are fast, easy, and perfect for every occasion.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Chris and Amy says

      February 06, 2011 at 2:44 pm

      Great giveaway. That soup sounds sooo good, and the book, very interesting!

      Reply
    2. Boulder Locavore says

      February 06, 2011 at 1:52 am

      Laura….I thought that too! Don't know of any Mesa Verde in AZ!

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    About Toni Dash

    Toni Dash BoulderLocavore.com Head Shot

    Welcome! I’m Toni. I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach and my goal is to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER with delicious, well-tested recipes and travel tips! More About Me …

    Search Boulder Locavore

    AS FEATURED ON….

    BoulderLocavore.com Featured By Press

    Easy Dinners

    • Instant Pot Jambalaya Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe: Quick & Easy Comfort Food
    • Instant Pot Smoked Paprika & Garlic Chicken Legs with lime wedges on a pewter platter Instant Pot Smoked Paprika & Garlic Chicken Legs
    • Korean BBQ Chicken title image Easy Korean BBQ Chicken recipe
    • Instant Pot Corned Beef Brisket title image Instant Pot Corned Beef Brisket: an Easy One Pot Meal
    • Shrimp Salad title image Shrimp Salad Recipe
    • Green Chile Stew title image Hearty New Mexican Green Chile Pork Stew

    TRENDING RIGHT NOW

    • How to Make Moist Homemade Shredded Chicken Breast title How to Make Moist Homemade Shredded Chicken Breast Recipe
    • Instant Pot Jambalaya Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe: Quick & Easy Comfort Food
    • Korean BBQ Chicken title image Easy Korean BBQ Chicken recipe
    • Sparkling Cranberry Vodka Punch Sparkling Cranberry Vodka Punch Recipe
    • cilantro lime rice title image Easy Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe
    • Muffin Tin Eggs Denver Omelet title image Muffin Tin Denver Omelet: Muffin Tin Eggs You’ll Love!

    Footer

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram

    Contact | About | Privacy Policy | Disclosure Policy | Accessibility Statement | Cookie Policy


    SIGN ME UP to get FREE recipes directly to my inbox!

    Don't miss our TRAVEL SECTION!


    Copyright © 2010-2023 All Rights Reserved

    Boulder Locavore is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.