Time: 9 hours 50 minutes
Complexity: easily
Servings: 6

This versatile bean soup recipe works with a wide variety of ingredients you have on hand. Using the formula "beans + smoked meats + vegetables + flavors + herbs," you can use any of the suggested ingredients to make Italian, Cajun, or Tex-Mex bean soup, or create your own. Whatever your choice, be sure to soak the beans in water overnight to speed up the cooking time. Serve the bean soup with bread or tortillas.

Ingredients:

Bean soup

• 1 lb dry beans (such as black, pinto, cannellini, kidney, white, black-eyed, or chickpeas)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 piece (110 g) smoked meat (such as bacon, pancetta, ham, Polish sausage, or andouille), cut into 1 cm pieces (optional)
• 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup finely chopped vegetables (such as carrots, celery, bell peppers, and/or tomatoes)
• 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
• 3 sprigs of fragrant herbs (such as thyme, rosemary, or sage), optional
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs (such as parsley, chives, basil, or cilantro), coarsely chopped

Flavoring additives

• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp. l. store-bought sofrito
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from a jar of chipotle peppers
• 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp finely chopped jalapeño

Substituting ingredients
Measuring containers used

1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Recipes with similar ingredients

white beans, sweet pepper, andouille sausage, rosemary, bay leaf, adobo sauce

We recommend

Preparation:

Step 1
• Beans (cannellini, kidney, black-eyed, or chickpeas)Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.
Step 2
• Drain and rinse the beans. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the smoked meats, if using, and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 3-5 minutes. Add the onion and other chopped vegetables. Cook, stirring occasionally, until completely softened, about 3 minutes.
Step 3
• Add your chosen flavorings (no more than 3 items) and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.
Step 4
• Bean soup: Add beans and bay leaf.
  
  Cover with cold water by about 2 inches (8-9 cups). Add the herb sprigs, if using, submerging them completely. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until the beans are very tender, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on the type of beans.
Step 5
• InningsRemove the bay leaves and herb sprigs. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt to taste. Stir in fresh herbs.
  
  Try these flavor combinations:
  
  Italian bean soup
  Cook with cannellini beans, pancetta, celery, carrots, garlic, rosemary and parsley.
  
  Latin American bean soup
  Cook with black beans, ham, bell peppers, tomatoes, sofrito, jalapeños and cilantro.
  
  Cajun Bean Soup
  Cook with black-eyed beans, andouille sausage, celery, bell peppers, tomato paste, thyme and chives.
  
  Tex-Mex Bean Soup
  Cook with pinto beans, celery, carrots, garlic, adobo sauce and cilantro.

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