Description
Hearty ham and white bean soup brings comfort from Italian countryside kitchens. Rustic ingredients blend seamlessly, creating a warm meal you’ll savor with each spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cans (15 oz / 425 g each) white beans (such as cannellini or great northern), drained and rinsed
- 2 cups (300 g) cooked ham, diced
- 4 cups (1 liter) chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups (480 ml) water
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
- Crusty bread or crackers (optional)
Instructions
- Aromatic Base: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté onions, carrots, and celery until they become translucent and tender, releasing their natural sweetness.
- Flavor Layering: Add minced garlic, diced ham, bay leaf, and thyme, stirring to create a rich, fragrant foundation that will infuse the entire soup with depth and complexity.
- Liquid Integration: Pour in chicken broth and water, then gently incorporate white beans, ensuring even distribution throughout the pot.
- Simmering Transformation: Bring the mixture to a brief boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and let the soup simmer gently for 25-30 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and beans to become perfectly tender.
- Final Touches: Remove bay leaf, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper, then serve piping hot in bowls garnished with freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
- Manage Bean Texture: Rinse canned white beans thoroughly to reduce sodium and prevent unwanted starchiness, ensuring a cleaner soup consistency.
- Control Simmering Temperature: Maintain a gentle, low heat to prevent bean breakage and preserve their delicate structure during cooking.
- Enhance Flavor Depth: Consider adding a parmesan rind during simmering to introduce subtle umami notes and create a more complex taste profile.
- Dietary Adaptation: Replace chicken broth with vegetable broth for a vegetarian version, and use smoked tofu instead of ham to maintain rich, smoky undertones.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 94
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 230 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg