Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Effortless Ham and White Bean Soup





From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When our fall rains begin, the sun moves behind banks of clouds and hibernates until prevailing spring winds blow away its cover. While it rarely gets truly cold here, the pervasive Pacific damp still chills the bones, and whets appetites that now need more substantial fare to satisfy them. Slow cookers come off the shelves, and soups and stews fill gaps left by the abandoned grills and salads of summer. The tempo of the kitchen and the aromas emanating from it change with the season. I have bread baking in my oven as we speak and I've just finished the first of my winter soups. You can't imagine how good my kitchen smells right now. I made an almost effortless bean soup that I found in Family Circle magazine. I've just had my first taste of it and I like it well enough to share with you. My version is not as thick as some. If you prefer a thicker soup, mash a portion of the beans until it reaches the consistency you like. While the beans for this soup soak overnight, the soup can be made in 15 minutes and the slow cooker does the rest of the work. This soup ages wonderfully well and, like almost all soups and stews, its flavor improves with time. If you are looking for a bean soup, I hope you'll give this one a try. Here's the recipe.

Ham and White Bean Soup - Slow Cooker...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Family Circle magazine

Ingredients:
1 pound dry cannellini beans
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (14 1/2 ounces)stewed tomatoes
1-1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
8 ounces low-sodium ham, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Crusty bread (optional)
Fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:
1) Place beans in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to boiling, cover and turn off heat. Allow to soak overnight.
2) Coat slow cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Drain beans and add to bowl. Add 4 cups water, onion, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, Italian seasoning and ham. Stir to combine, breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
3) Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours.
4) Season with salt and pepper; mash beans slightly to thicken soup. Serve with crusty bread and garnish with parsley, if desired. Yield: 6 servings.








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21 comments :

Angie's Recipes said...

Indeed a fuss free and delicious bean stew! Yummy!

www.you-made-that.com said...

I think you must have read my mind. I was thinking of making this dish today and now I have a great recipe to go from. Thanks and hope you are doing well.

Life's a shoe said...

wow sounds yummy. i'm actually not a super huge fan of beans but my mom also makes something similar to this- with lotsa spanish sausages and seasonings so i've found that beans could actually be really tasty when paired with really god ingredients. this bean soup version sounds like something which would be really awesome too!

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

hi Mary, looks like a quick and easy dish to prepare, and probably even quicker to eat!
Support me against bullying today at my blog: Duncan In Kuantan

Diane said...

It cannot get much easier than that. Just have to remember to soak the beans! Take are Diane

Coleens Recipes said...

My ALL TIME favorite soup, however, I've never used tomatoes in mine, how interesting. I'll have to try that.

Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine said...

Nothing hits the spot better to me than this comfort soup perfect for this cooler weather coming!

Kim said...

This looks like the perfect soup when it's cold and rainy. ith a piece of bred, yummy!

SImple and Serene Living said...

This sounds delicious, Mary. I had some Amish bean soup last night. This recipe is so simple I will definitely be trying it.

Hugs,
Laura

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

This is one of my favorite soups. I can almost smell it from here.
Sam

Unknown said...

Your soup recipes are making me long for much cooler weather!! This looks wonderful and will be on my list of things to make as soon as the temperature drops below 90! :)

QembarDelites said...

looks delicious and healthy too! Would love to try if I can find the white beans here...guess any kind will do huh!

Kati Mora, MS, RD, Kellogg's FiberPlus(R) Wellness Advocate said...

There are two things I'm really enjoying about this recipe - how easy it is to make and the fact that it incorporates fiber-rich beans. Sounds like a meal that I would love!

From the Kitchen said...

"Effortless"--I love that when it comes to a delicious soup. I made your baked potato soup and it was so good. I'll be posting it soon just in case someone missed your post.

Best,
Bonnie

Choc Chip Uru @ Go Bake Yourself said...

This does look stunning my friend :D

Cheers
Choc Chip Uru

Carole said...

This looks great. Food on Friday tomorrow is all about soup. Do pop by and link in! Have a lovely day.

Catherine said...

Dear Mary, This is one of my favorite soups!! It is hearty and delicious. Beautiful. Blessings dear friend. Catherine xo

Veronica Miller said...

Mary, I knew as soon as I saw the picture I was going to make this ASAP! I've got the beans on my shopping list and am going to cook it up tomorrow! Perfect for our weather-thanks!

Magdalena said...

We also have similar preparations here in Poland, served in particular in autumn and winter; this is a type of "international" food :)

David said...

Mary, This is a hearty and delicious sounding soup... My kind of soup for the cool and sometimes gloomy fall weather. It's all about comfort food... Thanks and Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Salsa Verde said...

Hi Mary,
Couldn't pass by this soup and not comment it, because its so my kind of soup...
chunky and full of delicious flavours...
Cheers,
Lia.

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