Big Bean Soup Recipes

BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Place rinsed beans into a large stock pot. Add water and bring to a boil. Boil gently for 2 minutes; remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour.
• Add ham bone, cubed ham, onion, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until beans are soft. Occasionally skim surface of soup while it is cooking.
• Add carrots and celery, cook until tender. Remove ham bone, scrape any meat from bone and place back into soup and serve.

BIG BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cook the onions over high heat in a large, dry soup pot, until they start to wilt and caramelize. Add the leek, celery, carrots, and bay leaf, and continue to cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until all the vegetables have softened. Add a little water or broth, if necessary, to keep them from sticking.
• Add the garlic, sage, and thyme, and stir for another minute. Add the broth and lima beans, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the beans are tender. They should be soft but still have a little crunch in the center. Don't overcook them (but if you do, the soup is still good).
• While the soup is cooking, place the sweet potatoes on the lined baking sheet and poke them a few times with a fork to avoid little explosions. Bake for 1 hour.
• Also while the soup is simmering, either steam the kale or cook it in a pot with 1/4 cup of water, for 3-5 minutes, until tender but still bright green.
• Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven, cut them in half, and scoop the cooked potato flesh into a food processor.
• Remove about 2 cups of (mostly) liquid from the pot with the beans, and add it to the sweet potatoes. Process until smooth, then pour the puréed sweet potatoes into the soup, and stir to combine. Add the black and white pepper, and cook until heated through. Remove the bay leaf and add the balsamic vinegar and parsley.
• To serve, place some cooked kale in each bowl, and fill with the soup. You can also add the kale to the soup, but the kale loses its wonderful color if you don't eat it right away.

BIG-BATCH BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Place the beans and ham bones in a large stockpot; add ham stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until the beans are tender. , Stir in the onions, carrots and pepper; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Combine flour and water until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Cook for 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. If too thick, add additional water.

BASIC BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the beans with the water, cover and let soak overnight.
• In a large pot over medium high heat, combine the soaked beans with water, carrots, onion and ham. Add more water to cover all, if necessary. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 4 to 6 hours. Add ketchup just to get desired color. Season with salt and pepper to taste.