How to make the best White Bean Soup of your life

By Rainbow Plant Life · 90 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Soak the beans: put the dried beans in a large bowl, cover with about 8 cups (2 L) cold water, and add the salt and baking soda. Cover and soak 8 to 12 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse well.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C), with a rack in the middle.
3. In a Dutch oven or large ovenproof pot, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium. Add the onion, carrots and celery with a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring now and then, until softened, about 10 minutes. If using, add the red pepper flakes and stir for 30 seconds.
4. Add 6 cups (1.5 L) water, the drained beans, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and plenty of pepper (if not using Better than Bouillon, use 1 teaspoon kosher salt). Partially cover and bring to a boil.
5. Tie the rosemary and sage sprigs and the bay leaves together with kitchen twine to make a bouquet garni.
6. Once boiling, stir in the Better than Bouillon until dissolved. Submerge the bouquet garni in the liquid and boil uncovered for 10 minutes.
7. Trim the roots from the garlic heads, scrub off any dirt, slice about 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) off the top of each head to expose the cloves, and peel off loose papery layers.
8. After the beans have boiled 10 minutes, turn off the heat. Add the garlic heads, pour about 2 tablespoons olive oil over the garlic and beans, and cover the pan.
9. Bake until the beans are tender, 60 to 75 minutes (about 45 minutes for small beans like navy beans).
10. Remove and discard the bouquet garni and keep the garlic heads. Ladle some hot broth into a glass, whisk in the miso until dissolved, then stir the miso broth back into the soup.
11. If the soup is too thick, add 1/2 to 1 cup (120 to 240 mL) freshly boiled water.
12. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves out of their skins into the soup and stir well. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon good olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with parsley if using. Add more olive oil to taste.
13. Cool completely, then refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

Summarized from Rainbow Plant Life's video. Watch it for the details.

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GarlicOnionCarrotChickenBreadCeleryMisoWhite bean