A hearty soup of white beans in a bone-based broth, cooked until thickened and silky.

Homestyle White Bean Soup

Serves 4 - 6

This soup was inspired by the white bean soups that my mom used to make. Though I did not use the smoked neck bones that my mother would have, I have included the small alterations in the Recipe Tips Section if you would like to. The soup is simple and mostly hands-off in preparation. My mom would serve a soup like this with cornbread but I’ve paired it with my Caramelized Onion Rolls (recipe here) to add a touch of sweetness. The most important part of the soup is the healthy grinding of black pepper on top which adds a floral heat to this rich hearty soup.

Ingredients

Broth

685g (1.5 lbs) pork ribs, sliced into manageable sections

2,000ml (10 c) water

2 bay leaves

1 T doenjang

1 T gochujang

4 t dashida or other powdered bullion

1.5 t Worcestershire sauce

0.50 t dried thyme

Soup

454g (1 lb) white beans, soaked overnight

600g (2 large) onion, diced

8 garlic cloves, minced

Recipe Know-how

1.      Place the ribs into a large pot.

• Cover bones with water by 2 inches.

This is not the measured water listed in the recipe.

This step called “blanching” the bones, is to help ensure a cleaner flavored final broth.

• Cover and bring the pot to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes.

• Drain completely and rinse the bones and pot.

• Return the bones to the pot along with the remaining broth ingredients.

• Cover and bring to a boil.

• Reduce to a simmer and cook covered for about 1 hour or until the meat is tender.

• Remove the ribs from the broth. Carefully remove the meat from the ribs and reserve.

• Add the bones back into the pot.

• Add the soup ingredients.

• Simmer for 45 minutes – 1 hour or until the beans are tender.

For a brothy soup serve immediately.

For a thicker soup cook for an additional 30 – 45 minutes or until the beans have begun to break down a little and the broth has thickened. This is how I like to serve this soup.

• Remove and discard bay leaves and rib bones.

• Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

• Add the reserved meat to the soup and cook for 5 minutes longer to reheat the meat.

2.      Serve topping with a healthy grinding of black pepper.