Today was a lovely day, temperatures notwithstanding. School was cancelled, of course, because no one in their right mind could require children to stand outside in these temperatures waiting for school busses. This is why, having received the text from my daughter late yesterday, family camp was in session today. 

The children unrolled our many yoga mats end-to-end all over the living room, and then raided the pantry to build a long winding row of mostly dry and canned beans that they subsequently climbed over and among for close to an hour. In the meanwhile, I put up a pot of soup in my beloved 5.5-quart Staub Dutch oven (cocotte).

Almost all the work of this soup is in preparing the four vegetables, and that’s not onerous, to be honest. The spice mix, Nallspice, was an inspired wedding favor from a recent family celebration. I’ve included the ingredient list below–it should be easy to make something similar from the spices in your pantry. The salsa came from my freezer, where I had obviously tossed it at the last minute before we left on vacation a few weeks ago. If you don’t have access to salsa, just add a medium-sized fresh tomato, cubed, or 1/3 cup of canned tomato sauce. The soup will cook all afternoon, warm your heart and your kitchen, and then feed your family at the end of the day. 

1 medium-large Vidalia onion, peeled, halved, and sliced thinly
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4” rounds
2 celery stalks, washed and sliced thinly
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/8 head of red cabbage, sliced thinly
1/2 cup yellow eye heirloom beans (Rancho Gordo)
6-8 cups water
1/2 cup fresh tomato salsa
2 tsp. coarse salt
1 Tbsp. Garlic Lovers Nallspice (see ingredients below*)
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. Serrano pepper chiii
1 generous handful of millet (or brown rice)

Add the olive oil, onion, carrots, and celery to your favorite soup pot, and turn up the heat to high. Once the vegetables begin to brown and sizzle, stir a few times, and reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the red cabbage, beans, and water, and cover. When the pot begins to boil, turn down the heat further to medium-low.

Do not add the salsa or spices yet.

Allow the soup to cook for three hours until the beans are beginning to turn translucent and soft. Check the pot periodically, and add boiling hot water as necessary to keep the level of the broth just above the vegetables.

Now it’s time to add the salsa, seasonings, and millet. Mix well, and cover. Turn down the heat to low, and allow to cook for one more hour until all the flavors are blended and the beans are quite soft. Adjust the seasonings. If you’re not a big fan of heat, skip the Serrano pepper chili, and add an additional pinch of salt. Serve as is, or with a thick slice of crusty bread on a freezing cold, snowy night in January. 

*Nallspice ingredients: Garlic [powder], sea salt, parsley, onion [powder], oregano, red pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, black pepper, basil.