Really Good White Bean Soup
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- dried white beans 16 oz
- kosher salt 1 ½ tbsp
- baking soda 2 tsp
- extra virgin olive oil 4 ½ tbsp
- large yellow onion 2 cup
- medium carrots 1-1.5 cup
- celery 1 cup
- Kosher
- red pepper flakes 0.5-1 tsp
- filtered water 6-7 cup
- large or small rosemary sprigs or thyme sprig 8-10
- large or small sage sprigs 2
- bay leaves 2
- Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base 2 tsp
- of garlic 2 head
- white miso 1 tbsp
- flat-leaf parsley chopped 1 handful
- Crusty bread to serve 4-8
This soup is best with dried beans cooked in the oven, but if using canned beans or for Instant Pot instructions, check out the FAQ section of the blog post. To quick soak beans, follow the instructions here (it will take ~1 hour). If using Morton’s kosher salt or sea salt, use 2 ¾ teaspoons. If using table salt, 2 ¼ teaspoons. If you use Aleppo pepper for a more Middle Eastern-inspired flavor profile, add 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, and 1-2 tbsp harissa paste or sauce at the same time. If you prefer a thick consistency almost like a stew, use 6 cup water. If you like a thinner texture, use 7 cup water. I typically start with 6 cup or 6 1/2 cup, then add boiled water at the end as needed. If using 7 cup water, you may want to use 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon. If you love oregano, add 1/2-1 tsp of dried oregano when you add the red pepper flakes. Kitchen twine is sold at most grocery stores, hardware and craft stores, kitchen stores, or online. You can sub the kitchen twine with a long stem of parsley (leaves removed); plain, unwaxed dental floss; or cheesecloth. Or chop the fresh sage and rosemary. For a fun spin on chicken noodle soup, when the soup is done, stir in some cooked small-sized pasta, such as orecchiette or macaroni. Storage: Leftover soup will stay good in the fridge in a covered container for about five days. Storage: Or, you can freeze this soup for 3 to 6 months. I like using these Souper Cubes to freeze individual portions, as they defrost very quickly. Storage: When reheating the soup, add a few splashes of water or broth if the soup is too thick. Nutrition boost: For extra veggie action, stir in some finely chopped lacinato kale or some chopped baby spinach or baby kale.
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1For the for soaking: dried white beans , kosher salt , baking soda . For the for cooking: extra virgin olive oil , large yellow onion , medium carrots , celery , Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes , filtered water , large or small rosemary sprigs or thyme sprig , large or small sage sprigs , bay leaves , Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base , of garlic , white miso . For the for serving: flat-leaf parsley chopped , Crusty bread to serve .
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2Soak the beans: Place dried beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water ( timer cup). Add the salt and baking soda. Cover and soak for 8-12 hours , or overnight. Drain and rinse well. See Note 2 for a quick soaking.
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3When ready to cook, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350ºF / 175ºC.
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4In a Dutch oven or large ovenproof soup pot, heat 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil over medium. Once hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery with a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, if using, and stir frequently for 30 seconds (see Note 7).
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5Pour in 6 cup water, the drained beans, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and lots of pepper (if not using Better than Bouillon, use 1 tsp kosher salt). Partially cover and bring to a boil.
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6Meanwhile, make the Bouquet Garni: using kitchen twine, tie together the rosemary and sage sprigs plus bay leaves (see Note 8).
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7Once it comes to boil, add the Better than Bouillon and stir thoroughly to dissolve. Add the bouquet garni and submerge in the liquid. Boil uncovered for 10 minutes .
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8Meanwhile, peel the papery outer skins from the garlic but leave the heads intact. Slice off timer inch (0.5 cm) from the top of each head to expose the cloves, as if roasting whole garlic.
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9Once the beans have boiled for 10 minutes , turn off the heat. Add in the garlic heads. Pour a glug of olive oil ( timer tbsp) on top of the garlic and beans. Cover the pan.
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10Bake in the oven until the beans are tender, 60 to 75 minutes (for small beans, like navy beans, check around 45 minutes).
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11Pick out the bouquet garni (discard) and garlic heads (keep these). Scoop a ladle of hot broth into a glass. Add the miso to the hot broth; whisk well until miso is dissolved. Pour miso broth into the soup and stir well.
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12If the soup is too thick for your liking, add 1/2-1 cup of freshly boiled water.
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13Once cool enough to touch, squeeze garlic cloves out of their skins and into the soup, stirring well. Drizzle in 1 tbsp of good-quality olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste, adding more olive oil for richness.