White Bean Soup ?

This fabulous white bean soup recipe is a healthy flavorful soup that I got from my mom that´s why it is my favorite bean soup recipe. Beans take a while to cook so it was always special when she made it but so worth it to wait.

This recipe calls for white great northern beans. They have nutty, earthy flavor and tender flesh when cooked. They also retain their shape and texture well without falling apart so they are great in soups and stews. With the delicate flavor of their own they carry out the flavors of other ingredients beautifully.

You can add sausage, franks, cooked bacon, ham or any other savory aromatic meats to flavor the soup. Potatoes, tomatoes, fresh carrots, pepper, garlic, fennel, paprika, celery, spices and other ingredients create flavorful satisfying broth.

Add chicken to make it even more nutritious. Or you can simply choose a pound of leftover shredded ham and slightly chopped bacon if you give preference to them. Throw in some sliced portobello mushrooms and you have a hearty protein rich vegetarian meal. Anyway you make it it is great.

Fragrant thyme broth with sweet carrots, aromatic onions and garlic and nutritious beans compliment each other wonderfully. Chop an onion and cook with olive oil till great spicy flavors fill the kitchen. Boil dried or canned beans in water with salt and keep cooking to perfect condition. If you take beans from fridge its needed to dunk them first. When they are definitely cooked and taste you can put additional diced vegetables in boiling salty water. Your soup will have saute texture and beautiful flavor.

This soup pairs great with any of your favorite salad or simply serve it with warm bread to guarantee comfort.

I always soak the beans overnight. It makes them cook faster and evenly and easier to digest. You can add salt to the water to create brine. That will speed up cooking process even more because salt breaks down the skin of the beans.

You can also use different herbs to flavor the broth. Use thyme and tarragon for a French inspired taste, Italian seasonings for Italian, cumin and paprika for Mexican.

This soup is an ultimate comfort soup that is healthy at the same time, so you can eat as much as you want without any guilt even with a bread slice. I really enjoy this recipe hope you will too! You can join the best “Must Eat Culinary” event in Boston and try yourself!