White Bean Soup Recipe

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)

Print Recipe

White Bean Soup from Home Cooking with Kate McDermott

To make this bean soup, it takes just three easy steps: 1. Cook the beans. 2. Chop and sauté the vegetables. 3. Combine the beans and veggies, and simmer until done. For a really big crowd, add any sort of pasta cooked al dente, with a little extra liquid if needed.

Author: Kate McDermott-Art of the Pie

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

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