Makes about 3 quarts (12 cups) — Serves 4 to 6 as a main course
This hearty soup—which is so thick it should probably be called a stew—is so simple it can be made by nearly anyone. It can also be eaten by nearly everyone: it's both vegan and fat free, and any ingredient except for the beans and water can be successfully omitted if necessary. It's also very good for you. I even like it cold. If you make your soup several hours or a day before serving, it will taste even better.
Roasting the garlic adds tremendous flavor but little effort. As always, I urge you to seek out local and organic ingredients; they really do make a difference.
Roasting the garlic adds tremendous flavor but little effort. As always, I urge you to seek out local and organic ingredients; they really do make a difference.
2 cups dried organic Great Northern beans, picked over, soaked 8 hours (or overnight), drained and rinsed
8½ cups (68 ounces) water
1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 mounded Tablespoon chopped fresh
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 mounded Tablespoon chopped fresh
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 bay leaf
10 to 15 garlic cloves, separated but unpeeled
8 ounces turnips (about one medium/1¾ cups), peeled and cut into largish bite-size chunks
8 ounces potatoes (about one medium), peeled and cut into largish bite-size chunks
1 pound yellow or white onions (about 3 medium/4 cups), peeled and cut into largish bite-size chunks
1 pound carrots (about 6 medium/3 cups), scrubbed and cut into largish bite-size chunks
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
Plenty of freshly ground pepper
Plenty of freshly ground pepper
1 cup (packed) chopped fresh parsley
Several sprigs fresh parsley for garnish, if desired
Place the beans, water, rosemary, thyme, fennel seeds, and bay leaf in a 6-quart (or larger) pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil and then simmer, with the lid cracked, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, place garlic cloves in a small oven-proof dish, sprinkle with water, cover with foil, and roast at 350° for 30 minutes. Let cool; peel.
Add the turnips, potatoes, onions, carrots, salt and pepper to the bean mixture, return to a boil, then simmer, with the lid cracked, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
NOTE: After you add all the vegetables, you may think that the soup is going to be way too thick, and that more water is definitely needed. It is not. It will be fine. Lots of liquid will cook out of the vegetables—plus what you want to end up with is a very thick soup.
After simmering, remove the bay leaf.
If using a counter top blender:
Carefully purée the roasted garlic and 2/3 of the soup mixture in blender (in batches) on low speed (with the lid held down) until still slightly chunky. Return to the pot of remaining soup.
If using an immersion hand blender:
Remove about 1/3 of the soup from the pot and place in a heat proof bowl. Break the roasted garlic cloves into pieces with your fingers and stir into the pot of remaining soup. Carefully purée the soup and garlic until still slightly chunky. Stir the unpuréed bowl of soup back into the pot. (Or you can just blend up the entire pot of soup, but I found it difficult to keep it partly chunky.)
Stir in the parsley and simmer, with the lid cracked, stirring occasionally, for another 30 minutes, or until the beans are completely tender. Salt & pepper to taste, garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve. Don't skimp on the salt; it brings out the flavor of the ingredients. Store leftovers for up to three days in the refrigerator or freeze.
Other Ideas:
—If you're serving people who must have meat every time they eat, a plate of good hearty sausages, such as bratwurst or kielbasa, could be grilled or pan-fried and served along with the soup. Or thickly slice the sausages on a diagonal and set several slices right on top of each bowl of soup.
—Make it a celebration of spring! Make this recipe using half the beans and twice the number of vegetables—all baby versions. You might only want to purée 1/3 of it, so that the chunks of individual vegetables remained more visible.
Recipe source: FarmgirlFare.com
Recipe © FarmgirlFare.com
