Green & Yellow String Bean Soup With Dill

Easy, healthy and packed with flavour, this soup comes from Elora-based culinary activist/gastronomer Anita Stewart. She says it was created by Nettie Stanoyev, a Yugoslavian widow living in Saskatchewan who became a step-grandmother to Stewart’s friend Candice Stanoyev.

2 tbsp canola oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 lb (450 g) green and yellow string beans, trimmed, cut into 1-inch (2-1/2-cm) pieces (4 cups)
1/2 cup chopped fresh, stemmed dill
28 oz (796 mL) can diced tomatoes
3 cups tomato juice
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp each: freshly ground pepper, crushed dried basil

Garnish:
Sour cream or plain yogurt
Fresh chopped basil

Heat oil in stock pot over medium to medium low. Add onions. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes or until softened and transparent. Add garlic. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add beans. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add dill, diced tomatoes with juices, tomato juice, sugar, salt, pepper and basil. Raise heat to high; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 30 minutes to allow flavours to blend.Soup can be served hot, at room temperature or chilled. Serve garnished with dollop of sour cream or yogurt and sprinkled with basil.

Makes about 9 cups.