Smoky Red Bean Soup with Green Sambal
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Smoky Red Bean Soup and Sambal
Thick, smoky, deeply savoury, and finished with a sharp green sambal that wakes the entire thing up at the last second, it manages to feel both hearty and surprisingly vibrant. Frankly, this is the sort of soup that makes cold weather considerably easier to tolerate.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 small green chilli, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cans (14 oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 4 spring onions
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 4 tablespoons roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until softened and lightly golden.
- Add the garlic and green chilli and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the smoked paprika and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and becomes rich and fragrant.
- Add the kidney beans, vegetable stock, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 25 to 35 minutes, until the soup has thickened slightly and the flavours have developed.
- Meanwhile, combine the spring onions, green chilli, parsley, peanuts, garlic, white wine vinegar, olive oil, and kosher salt in a small bowl to make the green sambal.
- Transfer about 2 cups of the soup to a blender or small food processor and blend until smooth. Return the blended soup to the pot and stir well. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup, leaving some whole beans for texture.
- Stir in the peanut butter and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until fully incorporated. Remove the soup from the heat, stir in the white wine vinegar, and taste, adjusting the seasoning with additional kosher salt and black pepper if needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with a generous spoonful of the green sambal. Serve warm with crusty bread.
Costs
- Total Cost: $6.96
- Cost per Serving: $1.74
Costs calculated in May 2026 in Cleveland, USA, using ingredients from Aldi, with the exception of oil from Thrive Market, and chillies and salt from Whole Foods.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
412Fat
20 gSat. Fat
3 gCarbs
47 gFiber
15 gNet carbs
32 gSugar
10 gProtein
16 gSodium
2279 mgCholesterol
0 mgNutritional information is an estimate only, and depends on the ingredients you use.
