American🥣 Soups & stews

The Best White Bean Soup

Name: The Best White Bean Soup
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ~1½ cups dried great northern beans; 1 onion; 3 carrots; 3 celery; 3½ tbsp olive oil; to taste kosher salt; to taste freshly cracked black pepper; ~½ tsp red pepper flakes; 2 garlic heads; 1 fresh rosemary; 1 fresh sage; 2 dried bay leaves; 1 tbsp white miso; ~3 tbsp Better than Bouillon no chicken base; ~8 cups water

⏱ 70 min

A rich and creamy white bean soup made with pre-soaked dried beans, fresh herbs, roasted garlic heads, white miso, and savory broth base. The low-and-slow oven-braising technique yields tender, creamy beans with deep savory flavor.

VeganHigh-proteinLow-cal

Adapted from a video by Rainbow Plant Life

How to make the best White Bean Soup of your life

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Ingredients

dried great northern beanspre-soaked overnight in 8 cups water with generous kosher salt, plus 2 teaspoons baking soda~1½ cupsest.
onionlarge, diced into about 2 cups1
carrotsmedium3
celeryribs3
olive oildivided: 1.5 tbsp for sautéing vegetables, 2 tbsp for garlic heads, plus more for finishing3½ tbsp
kosher saltto taste
freshly cracked black pepperto taste

Steps

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1
Soak dried great northern beans overnight in 8 cups of water with generous kosher salt and 2 teaspoons of baking soda to tenderize them and improve flavor and texture.
2
Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and add 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil. Once shimmering, add the diced onion, carrots, and celery, season with salt, and cook for about 10 minutes until softened. Add red pepper flakes and stir frequently for 30 seconds.
3
Add the drained and rinsed beans to the pot with water, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, make a bouquet garni by tying together a large sprig of rosemary, a large sprig of sage, and 2 dried bay leaves with kitchen twine.
4
Once the soup comes to a boil, add the Better than Bouillon and stir well to incorporate completely without lumps. Add the bouquet garni and submerge it in the liquid. Let boil vigorously for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat.
5
Prepare the garlic heads by trimming the roots, scrubbing with a vegetable brush, slicing off the top third to expose the cloves, and removing papery outer layers. Drizzle the garlic heads with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
6
Place the prepared garlic heads in the pot and cover. Transfer the Dutch oven to a 350°F oven and braise for about 1 hour (or 75–80 minutes for larger beans like cannellini). The slow, dry-heat braising yields creamier, more tender beans than stovetop simmering.
7
After about 1 hour, check the soup. Taste a few beans to ensure they are fully tender (beans may cook unevenly). Remove the bouquet garni and set aside the cooked garlic heads to cool slightly.
8
Prepare a miso slurry by ladling some hot broth into a glass, adding 1 tablespoon of white miso, whisking until smooth and lump-free, then pouring back into the pot.
9
Once the garlic heads have cooled enough to handle, squeeze the soft cloves out of their skins directly into the soup. Gently stir to incorporate; the cloves will be tender, buttery, and lightly caramelized.
10
Finish the soup with a drizzle of high-quality olive oil for a luxurious mouthfeel. Adjust salt and black pepper to taste and serve hot.

The Best White Bean Soup

Ingredients

Steps

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