About
Stroll into the diner, grab a seat at the counter, and warm yourself over a bowl of soup while the weather nips outside surrounded by friends from the neighborhood. The soup in this beautiful scenario? Neighborhood Bean Soup! This isn't just any soup; it's loaded with hearty, creamy, tender beans and bites of savory pork in a bubbling, herbaceous broth. This will warm your toes, your heart, your soul in an instant. That's the power of Neighborhood Bean Soup.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried great northern beans
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups water
- 1 meaty ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks
- 2-3 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sage, rubbed
- 1/4 teaspoon dried savory
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 3 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
Directions
Step 1 -Sort the beans and rinse them with cold water.
Step 2 -Place the beans in a Dutch oven and add enough water to cover them by 2 inches.
Step 3 -Bring the beans to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.
Step 4 -Transfer the Dutch oven from the heat and cover, allowing the beans to soak until softened, about 1-4 hours.
Step 5 -Drain and rinse the beans, discarding the liquid.
Step 6 -Return the beans to the pot and add the broth, 3 cups of the water, the ham bone, the bouillon, the thyme, the marjoram, the pepper, the sage, and the savory.
Step 7 -Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
Step 8 -Cover and simmer the soup for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Step 9 -In a large skillet, sauté the onions, the carrots, and the celery in the oil until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 10 -Add the onion mixture to the soup.
Step 11 -Cover the soup and let it simmer until the beans are tender, about 45-60 minutes.
Step 12 -Transfer the ham bone from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
Step 13 -Skim the fat from the soup.
Step 14 -Remove the meat from the bone and cut it into chunks, before adding the meat to the soup.
Step 15 -Discard the bone.
Step 16 -Serve.
