White Bean Soup Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Bevi December 20, 2021

I love making this soup. It is so hearty and flavorful. I suggest placing rosemary and thyme in a muslin bag that you can retrieve at the end of cooking. That way, you are not fishing for rosemary needles. I find that if you do not have sage that a bay leaf is a good substitute. Parmesan rinds added when the tomatoes go in are a nice addition, as are diced carrots. While living in the Middle East, I learned how to make fijon blanco under the tutelage of a Hungarian woman who was married to a Bulgarian. This soupy stew reminds me of that very soothing and delicious dish.

YUMMY. thank you food52! I also added chorizo, fried it off at the beginning till it was nice and browned, then followed the recipe as you said. My boyfriend was v happy.

Thanks, Merrill! Just made this and it was a delicious framework. Roman beans instead of small whites were in the cupboard. No fresh herbs on hand save some parsley, so used that instead of sage and then subbed in a sprinkle each of dried thyme and rosemary. And a dollop of some mildly spicy harissa paste. Garnished with some fried chorizo medallions on top with some sliced scallions that were heated a bit in the chorizo oil. y Thumbs-up from spouse who usually complains if I don't cook beans with some sort of protein - yay!

Thank you Merrill for a savory, simple and satisfying bean soup. After reading Juliunruly's comment about adding the parmesan rind, I did likewise. That was first for me. Glad I have more in the freezer for the next time.

This is a little embarrassing to admit, but I had never cooked with dried beans before making this soup last night. Thanks for the easy introduction! The soup was delicious. I added a parmesan rind, and doused it in finely grated parmesan before serving. I might try adding a little pancetta next time; pasta would be great, too!

Should I remove the pot from heat while the beans soak? Sorry if this is obvious, but I've never really cooked before...

How can I adapt this for the slow cooker?

I only had canned beans, and it is snowing like crazy here, so canned had to be. I added ¾ cups of wagon wheel shaped pasta, keeping the broth amount the same, and 2 handfuls of chopped baby spinach. This soup is infinitely adaptable.

Peony December 20, 2014

I made this with canned beans and added onion, spinach, and potato and cut the stock by two cups. Delicious! My husband adds a big spoon of sour cream to his.

The most traditional dish in the Balkans. Especially in Serbia, Bosnia and Macedonia. We make it both ways with or without meat. When it is with meat it is with smoked meat like pork ribs, pork sausage, knee, lamb smoked meat, rarely with beef and turkey. We rarely use rosemary, sage or thyme in this dish but rather the smoked bay leaf. I never heard somebody using the broth but who knows. Useful tip! Put some fresh mint leaves before the tomato to avoid stomac bloating that beans often give. You wil hardly feel the taste of it. We often like it hot (pepper, dried hot paprika, etc.).

it gives water as an alternative!

If this is part of your meatless Monday series, why isn't vegetable stock being used instead of chicken?!!

Why are dried beans preferred for this recipe rather than canned beans?

can i make a suggestion?? i don't understand why people make a comment without first reading them. i'm shocked by some of them. an example is "why is there fish or a leech or something awful in this picture.......come on. did you really think thats what was in the beautiful bowl of soup. my god!!

How would you modify this for canned beans?

i only have dried beans on hand. Can you help me modify the recipe? thanks :)

A wonderful intersection of healthy, easy, and delicious -- this soup simply rocks!

I made this for my 7 month old daughter a few months ago. From her first taste to the last, and every time I fed this to her, she ate with animation and excitement. I could hardly put the beans in her mouth fast enough. I pushed the beans easily through a sifter and was able to freeze about 21 separate ice cube-sized servings for her future meals. Night after night these frozen reserves were my go-to base for her meals and she never grew tired of it. I just picked up another round of ingredients from our market & will be making it again this week. Thank you Merrill and I love your “Cooking for Clara” feature.

WHY is there a fish, or a leech, or something AWFUL in this picture?

You wouldn't happen to have the nutritional information and serving size would you? I'm figuring out Weight Watcher points :-)