beans 'n greens soup.

i should have been grading algebra tests tonight but after my nap i was hungry for some beans & greens soup, so i threw together this little number. it's tastes a lot like it looks: green.
i used less vegetable stock than i would have normally, but i just made a fresh batch the other day and most of it is frozen. i didn't feel like defrosting, so i just used what was in the fridge. this soup is pretty light but so chockfull of stuff that it's got some stewy character. whatever, there's a soup-stew continuum and this is somewhere in the middle. (here, i will admit that i thought i invented the "stoup" concept, only to find that rachael ray, that beast in the kitchen, had already coined the term. so now i'm kind of reëvaluating my life's work and worldview. seriously, those tests will NEVER get graded.)
ate it with some olive oil & garlic ciabatta from trader joe's. would have been perfect with a delicious, crusty italian bread.

spinach, leek & navy bean stoup
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t dried oregano
1 t ground cumin
1-2 T olive oil
1 stalk celery, halved & thinly sliced
bulbs of 4 leeks, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
32 oz. vegetable stock
~2 cups navy beans (i didn't measure, but it was a few handfuls of cooked beans)
1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
salt, to taste

toast basil, oregano & cumin in stock pot over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
add olive oil and heat for a minute or so, then sauté celery for 2 minutes.
toss in leeks and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
add garlic to stock pot and sauté for an additional minute, being careful not to let garlic brown.
pour in vegetable stock, stir in beans, and bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
add thawed, drained spinach. cook for 5-7 more minutes, then remove from heat.
add salt to taste. (when i make vegetable stock, i don't add much salt, so i end up having to add more than you would if you used commercial stock or stock powder.)

i ate it right away, but i'm pretty confident it's going to taste so much better tomorrow!