Great Northern Bean Soup Recipes

GREAT NORTHERN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in hot oil until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir carrots and celery into the onion mixture. Pour vegetable broth into the stockpot; add potato, bay leaves, basil, sea salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer until the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 20 minutes.
• Stir beans into the soup; continue simmering until the beans are hot and tender, about 20 minutes more.

INSTANT POT BASIC BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• This step is optional for extra flavor! Add the butter or olive oil to the Instant Pot. Hit Sauté and adjust so it's in the More or High setting. Once the butter's melted and the oil's heated (about 3 minutes), add in the onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Then, add in the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer.
• Pour in the broth followed by the beans. Stir, secure the lid, move the valve to the sealing position, hit Keep Warm/Cancel and then hit Pressure Cook or Manual at high pressure for 35 minutes. When done, allow a 20 minute natural release (meaning you do nothing for 20 minutes) and then follow with a quick release.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove 1 cup of the beans and set aside. Take an immersion blender (suggested) or potato masher and purée/mash the beans into the soup. Then, return the reserved cup of beans (NOTE: Should you wish to have a thin soup without puréeing, simply skip this step).
• Add in any spices you see fit to taste (NOTE: see the yellow "Jeffrey Sez" section for what I used).
• Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

GREAT NORTHERN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over low to medium heat. Add the oil, onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften then add the garlic. Cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. Next, add the ham hock, thyme, sage, salt, pepper, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to cook at a simmer for 45 minutes or longer for a richer ham flavor. After 45 minutes, remove the ham hock, and take off any pieces of ham. Return the ham hock to the soup. Add in the ham and beans. Stir to combine and continue to simmer for an additional 15 minutes. (Add additional water or broth as needed while the soup is simmering if the liquid appears to evaporate out.) Serve hot with crackers or crusty bread. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

NEIGHBORHOOD BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Sort beans and rinse with cold water. Place beans in a Dutch oven; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let soak for 1-4 hours or until beans are softened., Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Return beans to pan; add broth, 3 cups water, ham bone, bouillon and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours. , Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the onions, carrots and celery in oil until tender; add to soup. Cover and simmer 45-60 minutes longer or until beans are tender. , Remove ham bone; cool slightly. Skim fat from soup. Remove meat from bone and cut into chunks; return to soup. Discard bone.

GREAT NORTHERN BEAN STEW

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the next 11 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes or until vegetables are tender. , Stir in parsley; cook 5 minutes longer. Freeze option: Freeze cooled stew in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if necessary.

BEAN SOUP WITH KALE

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add garlic and onion; saute until soft. Add kale and saute, stirring, until wilted. Add 3 cups of broth, 2 cups of beans, and all of the tomato, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. In a blender or food processor, mix the remaining beans and broth until smooth. Stir into soup to thicken. Simmer 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls; sprinkle with chopped parsley.

GREAT NORTHERN BEAN N HAM SOUP / CROCK POT

Steps:

• 1. Place your beans in a large bowl; cover with water and soak overnight. After soaking, pick through and discard any stones or shriveled beans. Rinse thoroughly and place in an 8 quart crock pot. Add all remaining ingredients except for the chopped ham, unless you aren't using a bone. I just use the bone and its meat for cooking, then add other cubed ham at the end.
• 2. Once all ingredients are added; stir as best as you can - mainly to mix in the bouillon. Place on the lid. Turn pot on low and cook for 6 - 8 hours or on high for 4 - 5 1/2 hours; or until the bean are creamy. All pots cook differently. I started mine on low for the first 4 hours, then turned to high for another 3 1/2 hours...was perfect..

GREAT NORTHERN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse and drain beans.
• Heat water, beans, bay leaves, onion, bacon and potatoes to boiling in 8-qt. stock pot; boil 2 minutes. Turn off heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour.
• Add tomato sauce, instant bouillon, salt, pepper, garlic and half of the carrots and celery to beans. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 2 hours (do not boil or beans will burst).
• Stir remaining carrots and celery into soup. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 1 hour. Stir in additional 1 or 2 cups water for thinner consistency.
• Using a slotted spoon and a wooden spoon, scoop potatoes against inside of pot and smash them, letting smashed potatoes drop back into the soup.
• Stir in butter and milk and serve immediately.

HAM AND GREAT NORTHERN BEAN SOUP FOR THE CROCK POT

Steps:

• Place the soaked and rinsed beans in a 5- or 6-quart crock pot. Look them over one more time for any bad beans or foreign matter.
• Add chopped carrots and onion.
• Pour chicken broth (pan drippings/chicken broth combination if you're using it) over beans, carrots, and onion. Mix gently.
• Add ham and stir again.
• Throw in ground thyme, basil, and ground black pepper. (Measurements in ingredients section are a guesstimate, I hardly ever use measuring spoons when cooking, I just make a cup in my hand and eyeball it.) To my tastebuds, a little thyme goes a long way so you may wish to add more than 1/2 teaspoon. Stir again.
• Add bay leaf and push it gently under the surface of the broth so it doesn't float.
• Cook on high for 1 hour, then low for 8 hours, stirring once in a while if you can. You could probably just cook on low for 8-9 hours if there's nobody home to change the setting. I just like to get things heated up and moving so I do high for an hour on just about everything I put in a Crock Pot.
• Remove the bay leaf.
• Add salt just before serving to the whole pot or individual bowls.
• This may taste good with a drop of Dijon mustard in individual bowls or even a tablespoon or two of cream.
• If it's too thin, just take the lid off for a while.