How to Make a Super Delicious White Bean and Ham Soup

The gusty winds of Fall is just around the corner, it's chilling your cheeks and freezing your fingers; you hurriedly push open the front door and are greeted by the sensory snapping aroma of garlic, onions, celery, and ham wafting from the kitchen. You can't wait to taste the Super Delicious White Bean and Ham Soup that's cooking on the stove.

Is your mouth watering in anticipation? Do you want to taste this Super Delicious White Bean and Ham Soup? You do, good ... I'll show you how to make it!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 cup dried small white beans
• 1 cup coarsely chopped ham
• ¼ cup unsalted butter or vegetable oil
• 1 large onion (yellow or brown)
• 1 garlic clove or ½ teaspoon of pre-chopped garlic
• 1 large carrot
• 1 large celery rib
• 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 can (16 oz) Roma tomatoes with juice
• 1 teaspoon, dried thyme, rosemary, or sage (optional)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper
• UTENSILS:
• Large saucepan
• Food mill, food processor (metal blade), blender
• Wooden spoon

1. 
    
   Picture of Williams-Sonoma cookbook in my kitchen

   Over sink, pour the small white beans in a colander and remove all damaged beans and grime. Rinse the remaining beans thoroughly with cold water, set aside to drain. Coarsely chop left-over cooked ham, set aside.

2. In a large saucepan heat butter or oil; while butter is melting, add ½ cup of white wine, vegetables to the food processor, finely chop. When butter starts to bubble, pour vegetable mixture and coarsely chopped cooked ham into the saucepan, stir frequently for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add stock, tomatoes, sugar, bay leaf and a dash of thyme, rosemary, or sage to the saucepan and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the beans to the pot and cook for 2 ½ hours or until very tender.

4. When tender, toss the bay leaf, and transfer half of the soup to a food mill, food processor, or blender. I prefer to use a food mill and I purée the soup over the saucepan. If you choose to use a food processor or blender, hold the lid tight during the purée process, be very careful not to splatter as the soup is extremely hot. When puree reaches the consistency of baby food, pour into the saucepan and stir thoroughly.

5. 
    
   Food Photography by Allan Rosenberg

   Season to taste, ladle into warm soup bowls, serve with fresh homemade rolls, a glass of white wine or beverage of your choice ... bon appétit.

Tips & Warnings

• Serves 6-8
• Place bowls in warming oven until ready to serve soup
• Ham is optional - vegetarian style is very tasty as well
• White wine is optional
• Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Soups Collection
• NOTE: alcohol is cooked off during the heating process - as it relates to adding white wine to this recipe, drunkenness in any form is not possible; however, I caution you to use your own judgment based upon your own personal circumstances and experiences.

[langleycornwell]

on 8/25/2009 Nice to have a new recipe for soup. This sounds great.

[ccsteffen]

on 8/19/2009 Thanks for this delicious recipe on How to Make a Super Delicious White Bean and Ham Soup! I need to make it before I stop eating meat for month (a little thing I'm trying with myself). We're having a pork loin for dinner tonight...Wonder if i could use that? Oh, well. Delicious looking indeed! 5*

[jenng]

on 8/19/2009 Great article on How to Make a Super Delicious White Bean and Ham Soup 5*

[MidniteWriter]

on 8/18/2009 This sounds wonderful, I love recipes like this! 5*

[lenrapp]

on 8/18/2009 Nice to have a recipe for a soup that can use all of my garden herbs. I grow so many and am always looking for new recipes, especially Sage, my newest addition to my herb garden this year.