Precooking Dried Beans for Soup

Name: Precooking Dried Beans for Soup
Yield: Makes about 5 Cups
Ingredients: bouquet garni with fresh herbs such as thyme, marjoram, or rosemary; bouquet garni with fresh herbs such as thyme, marjoram, or rosemary; ¼ pound pancetta, prosciutto, or unsmoked raw-cured country ham such as Smithfield, cut into ¼-inch cubes*; 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped; ¼ pound pancetta, prosciutto, or unsmoked raw-cured country ham such as Smithfield, cut into ¼-inch cubes*; ¼ pound pancetta, prosciutto, or unsmoked raw-cured country ham such as Smithfield, cut into ¼-inch cubes*; 2 cups dried beans such as cannellini, borlotti, navy, flageolet, etc.; 1 quart cold water; 2 cups dried beans such as cannellini, borlotti, navy, flageolet, etc.; 2 cups dried beans such as cannellini, borlotti, navy, flageolet, etc.; 2 cups dried beans such as cannellini, borlotti, navy, flageolet, etc.; 2 cups dried beans such as cannellini, borlotti, navy, flageolet, etc.; 1 tablespoon salt; ¼ cup olive oil; bouquet garni with fresh herbs such as thyme, marjoram, or rosemary; bouquet garni with fresh herbs such as thyme, marjoram, or rosemary; bouquet garni with fresh herbs such as thyme, marjoram, or rosemary

Preparation info

Makes about
5 Cups

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Splendid Soups

By James Peterson

Published 2000

About

If beans are the main ingredient in the soup, cook about ⅓ cup raw beans per serving—they’ll expand to almost a full cup. If beans are only one of many ingredients, figure half as much per serving.

Ingredients

2 cups dried beans such as cannellini, borlotti, navy, flageolet, etc.
1 quart cold wa

Gluten-free
Soup

Method

Soak the beans in the cold water in a large pot for 2 to 3 hours, until their skins are well wrinkled. Or, if you’re in a hurry, bring the beans to a simmer and remove the pot from the heat. The beans should be ready to cook in about 30 minutes.

Bring the beans to a simmer and use a ladle to skim off any froth that floats to the surface. Add the cubes of pancetta, garlic, and bouquet ga