Vegan Tuesdays -- Navy Bean Soup

It is still gloomy and unseasonably cold here, so soup was on the menu again. When I was a kid I loved Campbell's Bean with Bacon Soup. I didn't like the bacon part--I picked it out of the soup, but I loved the beans and the smokiness. For the longest time I was craving Campbell's bean soup, but I never attempted to make it since I didn't think a veggie version would even come close to the original. I was wrong! By using just a tiny bit of liquid smoke it's easy to duplicate the flavor of the bacon. This is such a yummy soup and it's easy to make. I'm so glad that I tried to recreate a childhood favorite.

1 lb dried navy beans soaked overnight and drained
4 celery stalks, diced
4 carrots, diced
1 small onion, diced finely
8 cups of veggie broth, you can add more if the soup gets too thick
2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 bay leaf
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
hot sauce, to taste
a few drops fo liquid smoke

Put everything into a big soup pot and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the beans are really well cooked--almost mushy. It will probably take at least a couple hours. You can mash up some of the beans for a smoother soup, or leave all the beans whole, but either way, you're looking for a really thick soup.

Serve the soup with some good hearty bread and maybe a big salad.

Wendy at Pink Stripes is back to blogging (yeah!), so please visit her blog to see what she made for Vegan Tuesday. http://pinkstripes.wordpress.com/