Black Bean & Tofu Soup 


                  1 1/2 cup black beans 
                  8 cups water 
                  3 strips Kombu 
                  2 cloves garlic 
                  1/2 teaspoon salt 
                  2 tablespoons olive oil 
                  1 bay leaf 
                  1/4 teaspoon sesame oil 
                  1 head broccoli 
                  1 big carrot 
                  1/2 medium onion 
                  2 stalks celery 
                  1 1/2 cup spinach 
                  2 tablespoons soy sauce 
                  1/8 cup green onions 
                  8 oz. tofu 
                  4 medium mushrooms 
                  Serves 6-8. 

Wash the beans. Put the water, the beans, the salt, the bayleaf, 
the kombu, both kinds of oil, and the soy sauce in a large pot. 
Crush the garlic and put that in too. Bring it all to a boil and 
then turn down to a simmer. Let this brew cook for about 2 1/2 to 
three hours. In the last hour of cooking, throw in all the sliced 
veggies except for the green onions and the tofu. 
Add tofu a couple of minutes before serving When the soup is done 
(i.e. the beans and carrots are soft) sprinkle green onions on top. 

Comment: kombu is a kind of seaweed. It makes good soup stock and also 
improves the digestability of beans. You can find it at most natural-food stores. 
Also, this makes for a very hearty soup. If you want something less dense, 
cut down on the veggies. This recipe is pretty robust; changes can be made 
and it will still turn out OK (less oil, salt, etc). Enjoy!