Simple Bean Soup

It's a cold and rainy evening, a rarity here in Southern California. What better to blog about, on a night like this, than a steamy bowl of Simple Bean Soup. Is there anything that warms the body and soul better than a hot pot of soup and a handful of freshly baked crusty bread shared amongst loved ones as the rain pours down outside? I don't think so. Light some candles and turn on some quiet background music, and I am in heaven.

In fact, this recipe is so easy (and creates so few dirty dishes) that you might just mistakenly think you have [died and gone to] heaven. One pot. A colander. One knife. A cutting board. That's it. It's easy on the budget and the waistline, both of which are important in the month of January at Pocket Square Farm. Go light on the olive oil and the salt to be even heart-healthier! And because you create the broth with water rather than using a pre-made broth base, you have much more control over the sodium content. I love that some of the main ingredients (carrots, herbs, garlic) are items I have in my garden year-round, so I really only need to purchase the beans (and perhaps an onion, depending on the season) at the market.

In the photo above I added left-over chicken from the night before

to make it more filling and add protein.

This soup is really just as flavorful without the meat, though.

Simple Bean Soup

(recipe adapted from Italian Country Cooking by L. Werle)

Ingredients:

1 very large onion, chopped

4-6 large carrots, chopped (more or less as you prefer; I like lots of carrots)

3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

2-3 large cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped

2 cups cannellini or great northern beans, soaked overnight

10 cups freshly filtered water

thyme and parsley, chopped, to taste ( I used lemon thyme and Italian parsley)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

The night before (or 6-8 hours in advance) measure beans into a large pot with a lid. Cover with cold water (at least 3 cups of water to every 1 cup of dried beans) as beans will expand up to three times their dried volume. Once the beans have fully expanded and are ready to cook, drain and rinse them thoroughly in a large colander before adding to the recipe when called for. Handle beans carefully to prevent breaking the skins.

Set beans aside in colander and return the large soup pot you soaked them in to the stovetop. Combine chopped onions, carrots, and oil in the bottom of the pot and cook over medium heat until the veggies are soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir for one more minute, until fragrant. Turn off the heat for the next step.

Very carefully add the beans from the colander to the soup pot, again trying not to break the skins of the beans. Add the 10 cups of filtered water, a good pinch of salt, and thyme and parsley. Cover with lid and very slowly bring to a simmer over the lowest possible heat, again to prevent skin breakage. Once the soup is at barely a simmer, set the lid at an angle and cook 30-60 minutes until the beans are very soft, checking the beans periodically. The soup is done when the beans can be easily squashed flat between your fingers. Do not cook the soup too long beyond this point, as the beans will become mushy. I made this mistake once; the result was not pretty.

Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper; I like to chop and add a few more fresh herbs over the top to garnish.

Leftovers may be frozen! This soup is also good served at room temperature on a warm summer day as either the starter (as I did at Guerilla Dining 2011) or as a main dish. Enjoy!