Best Bean Soup Recipes

BASIC HAM AND BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse the beans, sorting out any broken or discolored ones. In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and the beans and remove from heat. Let beans sit in the hot water for at least 60 minutes.
• After the 60 minutes of soaking, return the pot to high heat and place the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mustard and bay leaves in the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 60 more minutes.
• Remove ham bone and discard. Stir in the chopped ham and simmer for 30 more minutes. Season with ground white pepper to taste.

CONTEST-WINNING BLACK BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mash 1 can black beans; set aside. In a large saucepan, saute the celery, onion, red pepper and jalapeno in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. , Stir in the broth, tomatoes, cumin, coriander, hot sauce, pepper, bay leaf, mashed black beans and remaining whole beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. , Discard bay leaf. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1-1/2 teaspoons green onion.

ESCAROLE AND BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the escarole and saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt. Add the chicken broth, beans, and Parmesan cheese. Cover and simmer until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Ladle the soup into 6 bowls. Drizzle 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil over each. Serve with crusty bread.

VEGETABLE-BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and season with salt and pepper; cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, broth, and parsley and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide soup among four bowls and serve with Parmesan.

SLOW-COOKER EASY MULTI-BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, mix all ingredients except tomatoes.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 10 hours.
• Stir in tomatoes. Increase heat setting to High; cover and cook about 15 minutes longer or until hot.

THE BEST BEAN AND HAM SOUP

Steps:

• Place the soaked beans into a large pot and fill with enough water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low for 30 minutes. Drain. Add the ham bone, ham, onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes, vegetable juice, and vegetable broth. Season with Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, chili powder, bay leaves, pepper, parsley and lemon juice. Pour in enough of the chicken broth to cover the ingredients.
• Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 hours. Add more chicken broth as needed throughout the day. Remove the ham bone and season with salt if needed. Continue to simmer for a couple more hours. Remove bay leaves before serving.

BEST BLACK BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Empty the can of chiles into a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth, scrape into a container, and set aside. Put on a teakettle of water to boil, and keep hot.
• In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add carrots, onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Pour in wine and let simmer until pan is almost dry and vegetables are coated. Add jalapeños and cook, stirring, just until softened, 2 minutes. Push the vegetables out to the edges of the pot and dollop 2 teaspoons of chipotle purée in the center. Let fry for a minute and then stir together with the vegetables.
• Add beans, stock, oregano and bay leaves. Stir, bring to a boil, and let boil 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partly covered, stirring occasionally and adding hot water as needed to keep the soup liquid and runny, not sludgy. Continue cooking until beans are just softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 hours. Add salt and pepper and keep cooking until beans are soft.
• Meanwhile, make the pickled onions, if using: In a bowl, combine sliced onions, lime juice and a sprinkling of salt. Let soften at room temperature until crunchy and tart, about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry in paper towels and refrigerate until ready to serve. If desired, chop coarsely before serving.
• Adjust the texture of the soup: The goal is to combine whole beans, soft chunks and a velvety broth. Some beans release enough starch while cooking to produce a thick broth without puréeing. If soup seems thin, use an immersion blender or blender to purée a small amount of the beans until smooth, then stir back in. Continue until desired texture is reached, keeping in mind that the soup will continue to thicken as it sits.
• Heat the soup through, taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, drops of red wine vinegar and dabs of chipotle purée.
• Serve in deep bowls, garnishing each serving with sour cream, pickled onions, cilantro leaves, sliced chiles and avocado as desired.

NAVY BEAN SOUP I

Steps:

• Combine beans, water, tomatoes, onion, celery, garlic, ham, bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, garlic, and bay leaf in a stock pot; bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for two hours.
• Add additional water. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for an additional two hours. Discard bay leaf.

WHITE BEAN AND SAUSAGE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in an 8-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage, breaking it into bite-size chunks as it cooks, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to allow excess oil to drain off.
• Add the peppers, oregano, rosemary, garlic and onions to the pot. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, beans and tomatoes. Return the sausage to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
• Stir in the kale, heavy cream and apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
• To freeze, transfer the soup to containers with airtight lids, leaving space at the top as it will expand as it freezes. Allow the soup to cool completely before placing the lids on and freezing. Reheat until hot before serving and garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired.

QUICK AND EASY BLACK BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Place bacon in a cold pot. Turn heat to medium, cook and stir until the bacon is cooked but not crisp.
• Stir in onion; cook and stir for 5 minutes, until the onion turns translucent and golden.
• Stir in garlic; cook for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken stock, turn heat to medium-high. Stir in oregano, cayenne and salt. Add black beans and water. Return to a simmer.
• Simmer on medium-low, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes. While it's cooking, mash about half the beans to thicken the soup.
• Stir in black pepper and cumin. Add salt to taste.
• Make the relish by stirring together minced green onion, sambal paste, and lime juice.
• Serve garnished with relish, chopped green onions, and sour cream.

WHITE BEAN AND HAM BONE SOUP

Steps:

• Combine ham bone and 4 quarts of water in a large stock pot of Dutch oven at least the night before. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 12 hours.
• In the meantime, place beans in a large pot with water to cover; soak overnight. Drain beans the next day and return to the pot.
• Remove ham bone from the pot and pick off any edible meat. Strain the stock and measure out 3 quarts for the soup. Remaining stock can be frozen.
• Pour 3 quarts of stock over the soaked beans. Add ham, celery, carrots, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover, tilting the lid to allow steam to escape, and simmer until beans are tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add sherry in the last 30 minutes of cooking and season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

BEAN AND BACON SOUP

Steps:

• Place beans in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans; discard liquid., In a large saucepan, combine the broth, beans, parsley, bay leaves and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables and beans are tender. Stir in bacon. Discard the bay leaves before serving.

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.

QUICK HAM AND BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute the carrots, celery and onion in butter until tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook for 15 minutes or until heated through. Discard bay leaf.

BEAN SOUP WITH KALE

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add garlic and onion; saute until soft. Add kale and saute, stirring, until wilted. Add 3 cups of broth, 2 cups of beans, and all of the tomato, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. In a blender or food processor, mix the remaining beans and broth until smooth. Stir into soup to thicken. Simmer 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls; sprinkle with chopped parsley.

EASY BLACK BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Saute onion in olive oil.
• When onion becomes translucent, add cumin.
• Cook 30 seconds, then add garlic and cook for another 30 to 60 seconds.
• Add 1 can black beans and 2 cups vegetable broth.
• Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
• Turn off heat.
• Using a hand blender, blend the ingredients in the pot, or transfer to a blender.
• Add the second can of beans to the pot along with blended ingredients and bring to a simmer.
• Serve soup with bowls of red onion and cilantro for garnish.
• I add a bit of cilantro to the pot, too.
• Can be doubled or frozen.

EASY PORTUGUESE-STYLE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Place the first 20 ingredients in a 7-qt. slow cooker. Cook, covered, on low 7-9 hours or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves and orange and lemon zest strips., Transfer 4 cups soup to a blender; cool slightly. Cover; process until smooth. Return to slow cooker; add green onions, cilantro and parsley. Heat through., Freeze option: Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add a little broth if necessary.

WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Saute garlic and onion until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in carrot and corn, season with salt and pepper, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, beans, tomatoes, thyme, savory, and parsley, and bring to a low boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook approximately one hour.
• Separate soup into 2 equal portions, and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, puree half of the batch in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return both batches to the stockpot, and heat until warmed through. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot.

HEARTY NAVY BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse and sort beans; soak according to package directions., Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Place in a Dutch oven. Add the tomatoes with juice, onion, ham hock, broth, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 1-1/2 hours., Add more water if necessary. Remove ham hock and let it stand until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bone; discard bone. Cut meat into bite-sized pieces; set aside. (For a thicker soup, cool slightly, then puree beans in a food processor or blender and return to pan.) Return ham to soup and heat through. Garnish with parsley if desired.

SIXTEEN-BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Set aside seasoning packet from beans. Sort beans and rinse with cold water. Place beans in a Dutch oven; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 to 4 hours or until beans are softened. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid., Return beans to the pan. Add contents of bean seasoning packet, onion, garlic, salt, chili powder, pepper, pepper sauce, bay leaf and water. Bring to a boil. , Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until beans are tender. Add tomatoes and lemon juice. Simmer, uncovered, until heated through. Discard bay leaf.