White Bean Soup Recipe
I don’t consider myself a writer. A home baker, yes–but writer? Well, that has come as a big surprise. When writing Art of the Pie, I had no idea what I was doing. I thought one handed in a sheaf of recipes, went to some photo shoots, and then everything would come together in a final form as if by magic. That is sort of what happens. Now in my third book, I know that the magic is called hours of dedication to a vision of a completed project that began well over one year ago, and will be in its final form, as a book in print, about a nine or ten months from now. The gestation period for a book is lots longer than nine months.
Today, and for the foreseeable months ahead, writing for pie is what I am doing. I love the topic so I don’t see this as a hardship in any way. I’ve been exploring and writing about it for years. What is hard is needing to halt those explorations at the baking counter, at least for a time, so I can focus on the manuscript in front of me.
The Process
So here’s where I am in the process:
- Recipes done and tested.
- Photo shoots, two weeks of them, complete.
- First draft turned in.
- Editors comments and remarks for revisions received.
- Revisions begin for the next big deadline.
- Soup on the stove simmering.
I am spending days in front of a large computer monitor (one of my best and smartest purchases), papers spread out in piles–some neat and some not so neat, woodstove keeping me and my four-legged family warm, pot of soup simmering, as I type, type, type.
Even when fatigue sets in, I feel so blessed to be writing a third book for you. Here’s the recipe for White Bean Soup that’s simmering right now. It’s gotten me through two books already, and now a third, and if I miss some days writing to you on the blog, I hope you won’t forget about me.
White Bean Soup from Home Cooking with Kate McDermott (Andrew Scrivani Photo)
White Bean Soup from Home Cooking with Kate McDermott
Ingredients
- 2 cups (370 g) dry white beans
- 3 quarts (2.8 l) water or stock (chicken or vegetable), or a combination of water and stock
- 1 bay leaf optional
- 5 medium potatoes red or yellow
- 4 medium carrots
- 4 stalks celery
- 2 medium yellow onions
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) olive oil, plus more for serving
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese optional
- Pesto (optional)
- 8 ounces pasta cooked al dente (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse dry beans several times, place them in a Dutch oven or lidded pot, cover with a few inches of water, and bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Remove and discard any foam on top. Let sit for 1 hour.
- Rinse the beans, and cover them again with 3 quarts (2.8 l) fresh water, stock, or a combination of water and stock. Bring the beans to a boil for about 3 minutes. Remove and discard any foam on top. Turn down the heat, add the optional bay leaf, and simmer partially covered for about 30 minutes while you chop the vegetables.
- Chop the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions so that they are all about 1/2 to 3/4 inches (1 to 2 cm) in size. You can use a food processor on the pulse setting if you’d like.
- Heat a large cast-iron frying pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions and let cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic to the vegetables along with the rosemary, thyme, and salt. Let cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the entire vegetable mixture to the soup pot and continue simmering for another 30 minutes or until the beans are soft.
- Add the pasta, if using, towards the end of the simmer.
- Taste and add salt if needed. Serve with a little olive oil drizzled and some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or a dollop of pesto.
Do Good December – Day 2
And for those who are following Do Good December, today let’s support a charity, cause or campaign you really care about.
Hey Kate, I was at the Pie Camp on Whidbey Island when Duncan and his long-time girlfriend became engaged. It was such a special week to begin with and then they announced their engagement. Then, I was reading one of your recipes that included rice and you said that the rice reminded you of Duncan’s tears as he told you the engagement was off. I actually cried as Duncan is such a beautiful young man. You share those personal moments and tie them to the recipe at hand – this is your gift and thank you. I am looking forward to the next book of recipes and stories. …Dianne
Hi Dianne, We give our hearts and learn that along with opening them to give and receive love, we open them also to heartbreak and pain. A few years have passed now, and I am grateful that he seems to have found peace and happiness.
Yummy soup. Our first snow has fallen, and soup is so welcome right now! Many thanks for the link to the calendar for Do Good December. It’s a day late, but we had a blood drive today at work.
You are so welcome, Rabecca, and thank YOU for taking part in the blood drive! #dogooddecember
Looks delicious! I love such soups with beans so much because they must be super-nutritious having such a high level of protein. I usually make them with vegetable broth, but my mother with chicken or beef ones. Both variations are perfect. My hubby and kids adore soups with beans, so I added this one to my bookmarks. By the way, I’ve never tried to put this kind of pasta in soups: only noodles or spaghetti. So I’m about to try.
Thank you for sharing this yummy everyday cooking recipe, Kate. Go on posting new recipes in 2020, please! Happy New Year!
Thank you so much, Anna. The recipes I share are ones I have made for decades…for my family and friends. I’ll keep cooking, baking, and sharing. Happy New Year!