Soup of the week: green beans soup

Almost every weekend I cook a large pot of soup for the weekday dinners. Some of the soup I freeze, but most of it is what carries us through the week. A slice of toasted whole wheat bread, a chunk of cheese and a bowl of soup can fortify all of us at dinner time. Some fruit for dessert, and it is a complete meal. If we get bored with the current "soup of the week", I take out the frozen portions from a different soup. 

This past weekend, I prepared one of my favorite soups:

 Green beans soup

You need four (15 oz.) cans of green beans (cut the beans into smaller pieces), two medium to large size sweet onions (finely chopped), 4 Tbsp. olive oil, 6 Tbsp. flour, 1 tsp paprika, a pinch of hot flakes, salt, one bunch each dill and parsley (chopped).

* If starting with fresh green beans, clean the pods by cutting the tips, wash, boil in salted water to soft, drain, and use as canned green beans.

 Preparation

Soften the onions in the oil; mix frequently. When the onions start to change to golden color, add a cup of water to prevent burning.  Add the flour and paprika, mix well.  Add 12 or more cups of water (leave enough space in the pot for the beans). After the water starts boiling, add the green beans, bring to boil again and cook for 3- 5 minutes. Add salt and hot flakes to taste. Turn the heat off and add the dill. Optional: serve with minced garlic, a spoon of yogurt, ground walnuts, or lemon juice. I usually crush some garlic, mix it with yogurt and use a spoon of this mixture per bowl of soup.