WHITE BEAN & BACON SOUP RECIPE
A
white bean and bacon, powered up by ham hock and red pepper, and with a little
bit of everything that makes a soup good: creamy, brothy, chunky, rich with
savory white beans and ham. It’s the perfect winter soup, all in one pot.
Servings : 8
INGREDIENTS
·
1
pound dried white beans, such as navy or Great Northern
·
1 ham
hock or ham bone
·
8 cups
low-sodium chicken stock or broth
·
7
ounces thick-cut maple bacon (4 to 5 slices), diced*
·
1
onion, diced
·
1 red
pepper, diced
·
2
carrots, diced
·
2
celery stalks, diced
·
4
cloves garlic, minced
·
Salt
and pepper, to taste
·
3
ounces ham, diced (about 1/2 cup)
·
4
stems thyme
·
1/2
lemon, zested and juiced
·
Fresh
parsley, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cover
the beans with water in a large pot and soak overnight. Drain the water. (If
you forget to soak the beans, do a fast soak with them the hour before
cooking.)
2. Add
the ham hock and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and
partially cover. Cook for 1 to 2 hours or until the beans are tender. Remove
the ham hock.
3.
While
the beans cook slowly cook the bacon in a 5-quart or larger Dutch oven on
medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes or until the fat renders out and the bacon is
crispy. Push the bacon to the side and add the onion, red pepper, carrots,
celery, and garlic. Sprinkle very lightly with salt and sauté for 10 minutes or
until soft. Add the diced ham and thyme. If the beans are not yet ready, remove
the bacon and aromatics mixture from the heat until they are.
4. When
the beans are soft, mash or puree about 2 cups of beans then add to the pot
with the bacon and aromatics. Pour in the rest of the broth and beans and bring
to a simmer. Lower the heat and cook for at least 15 minutes, but ideally much
longer so the flavors have time to mingle. Add the lemon zest, juice, and finely
chopped parsley to taste.
5. The
cooled soup only improves after a night in the refrigerator. It will keep in
the fridge for up to 5 days and it freezes well.
RECIPE
NOTES
· Maple
Bacon Substitute: If you do not have maple bacon, add 1 tablespoon maple syrup
to the bacon as it renders.
· Seasoning
Caution: There's quite a bit of salt in this recipe, between the ham shank, the
diced ham, and the bacon. So taste as you go, and don't add significant salt
until the end of cooking, after you've tasted the finished soup.
· Alternate
Cooking Methods: This soup is even better when cooked slowly over a whole day.
Add the cooked beans and sautéed aromatics and bacon to a slow cooker and cook
on low for up to 8 hours. Or cook in a 275°F oven for several hours.
· Recipe
Shortcuts: This recipe can be made with canned beans, and without the ham
shank, but you'll notice a difference. "Make sure you don’t skimp on the
bacon, and really it’s worth the extra trip to the butcher for that bone,"
Carmen says. The lemon juice, zest and parsley are not to be missed as they
give the soup wonderful brightness.
Recipe
from thekitchn.com
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