I made this glorious soup the other day, and it warmed every sinew of my winter-weary soul. It's garlicky, smokey, and herbal. It's also easy to make -- a soup pot is the only special equipment you'll need!
And speaking of winter-weary! Pictured above is my front yard after a recent storm delivered 18 inches of snow.
Is it any wonder that I'm writing about soup these days?
To start, soak a bag of dried cannellini beans overnight.
Then grab one large onion...
And mince it, baby.
Then take 3 fat cloves of garlic...
And chop them.
Now retrieve your purple soup pot...
And add a pat of butter and a drizzle of olive oil. Warm these over a low flame.
Add the onions and garlic...
And give them a quick stir so that all are coated with the butter and oil.
Then cover the pot, and let the veggies sweat until soft -- about 8 minutes.
Keep the flame low -- the onions and garlic should not color at all. I lowered the flame after I snapped the above photograph.
And here's a question for you: What kind of cooktop do you have? Is it electric -- or gas? Both my oven and cooktop are gas-fueled. But in a perfect world, I'd have a gas range and an electric oven. Electric ovens are the best baking-ovens. Or so I've read.
Drain the beans, and add them to the pot.
Also add some kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper...
And some fragrant thyme...
And some of your wonderful homemade chicken stock.
Then add some hickory-smoked pork shoulder. This will give your soup a screamingly-delicious taste and perfume. It will also give you plenty of tender, succulent meat for garnishing the soup.
Cover the pot, and simmer the works until the beans are tender and your whole house smells inviting -- 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Then remove the pork, and cut it into smallish pieces.
Your beagle will enter your kitchen as you chop-up the ham.
This next step is optional: Mash some of the beans with a potato masher.
Now ladle the brew into a bowl, and top it with some of the ham, and a pinch of fresh, minced parsley.
Then quickly light a fire in the dining room...
Pour yourself a goblet of Bordeaux...
And savor this garlicky, smokey, and perfectly-perfumed sumptuousness. Trust me -- as the fire warms your toes, the soup will comfort your soul.
Need a copy-and-paste version of the above? Here goes:
Cannellini and Ham Soup
Kevin Lee Jacobs
Ingredients for about 8 servings
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb dried cannellini beans, soaked in water overnight, and drained
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and grinds of black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
6 cups unsalted chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 lb (or slightly more) hickory-smoked pork shoulder
1 tablespoon flat-leaved parsley, minced
Special Equipment - A 5 quart soup pot or Dutch oven
Put the butter and oil into the soup pot, and heat them over a low flame. When the butter melts (don't let it brown!) add the onions and garlic, and stir to coat. Then cover the pot, and let the veggies sweat until tender and fragrant -- about 8 minutes. The onions and garlic should not color at all.
Add the beans, seasonings, chicken stock, and pork. Cover the pot, and simmer until the beans are perfectly tender -- 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the pork, and cut it into smallish pieces.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, and garnish with the chopped ham and the minced parsley.
Wine pairing: Coppola Claret (or any good Bordeaux)
Don't miss anything at A Garden for the House...sign up for Kevin's email updates.
More winter meals from Kevin's kitchen:
Rigatoni alla Salsiccia e Panna
Bacon and Sausage Stuffing Balls (GF)
My Very Serious Brownies
↧