Lenten bean soup with vermicelli

Ingredients

• 500 g dried beans
• 1500 ml water for the first boil
• 2000 ml water for soaking
• 2500 ml water for cooking the beans
• 1 medium onion (150 g)
• 2 medium carrots (240 g)
• 100 g celeriac
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig thyme
• 500 ml water to thin the soup
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon vegetable stock base
• 100 g egg-free vermicelli
• 10 g fresh lovage

Preparation

1. Pick over the beans, rinse them and put them in a pot with 1500 ml water. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain the beans. 2. Put the beans back in the pot with 2000 ml water. When the water comes to its first boil, cover the pot and leave it overnight, about 8 hours. 3. The next day, drain and rinse the beans. Pour 2500 ml fresh water over them and bring the pot to a boil. 4. When the water starts to boil, add the peeled onion and carrots, peeled celeriac, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme sprig and salt. Boil for 90 minutes, until the beans are soft. 5. Drain the beans and vegetables, keeping all the cooking liquid. Mash the beans together with the vegetables for fasole bătută. If you want a few beans in the soup, set aside 2-3 tablespoons of beans and one cooked carrot, then cut the carrot into small pieces. 6. Put the cooking liquid back on the heat and gradually add up to 500 ml water, only if it is too thick; any water left over does not go into the soup. Add the oil and vegetable stock base. When it starts to boil, add the vermicelli and cook for 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the chopped lovage and turn off the heat.