Warm and creamy ham and bean soup with chunks of ham or pancetta is perfect for cooler days. It is thick and cream without the use of flour or cream.
A Peasant Dish: Ham and Bean Soup
A portion of the bean soup is pureed before the soup is finished to give it thickness and creamy texture. You can puree it either by using a hand blender directly in the pot, or buy transferring 1/3 of the soup to a regular blender or food processor to pure it and then folding back into the pot.
This ham and bean soup is a true peasant dish. It’s my grandmother’s recipe that she learned from her mother. It’s one of those recipes that everyone’s been making the same way, forever. Of course, there are slight variations as some like to add carrot to it, some a bit of tomato paste, but the basic recipe is always the same.
Borlotti or cannelloni beans are typically used but I also make it with pinto, kidney and navy beans. Whatever you have in your pantry!
3 Reasons Why My Family Eats Dry Beans
Some diet and food trends today discourage eating beans and legumes due to their high phytic acid and lectin content that make them harder to digest and prevents our bodies from absorbing the nutrients in those foods.
This source explains that beans and legumes are not PALEO-friendly because “In addition to their phytic acid content, legumes also contain a type of carbohydrate called galaco-ligosaccharides that can cause unpleasant digestive problems for some people, especially people who already have IBS or similar digestive problems.”
Beans are Important Part of the Mediterranean Diet
Still, if we think about it, many primitive cultures and a huge part of today’s world consume beans and legumes with no issues. Coming from a Mediterranean background, where people are pretty healthy and live long, and legumes are one of staple foods, I approach beans with common sense. If you take care to prepare and cook them properly, and they don’t bother you, I don’t believe you should give up on the entire group of food.
Dry Beans are Nourishing if Properly Prepared
If properly prepared, beans are a potential source of high quality nourishment due to their high protein content. Actually, the Weston A. Price Foundation states that:
Legumes prepared in meals with whole grains and some animal protein and fat can comprise a healthy, inexpensive nourishing diet, and in fact have been favored in cuisines the world over for thousands of years, serving as a poor man’s food. All beans are rich in minerals, vitamin B, both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Beans do, however, require proper preparation in order to improve their digestibility. This is because they contain large, complex sugars that can completely shake up our digestive systems. Soaking beans before cooking aids in improving their digestibility and shortens their cooking time. The only exception to this is fava beans. The digestibility of fava beans does not improve by soaking, sprouting or prolonged cooking so they are best avoided.
Dry Beans are Affordable
Beans are a food group that happens to be both affordable and a great source of protein, soluble fiber, carbohydrates, folate and iron. So, it’s really hard to find a reason to completely avoid them. Plus, beans are delicious. Just check out this kale and chickpea minestrone or my garlicky bean and sage dip!
Cooking with Dried Beans
Legumes are an essential part of the Mediterranean diet, fresh or dried. Never canned. I’ve been using and cooking with dried beans my whole life so the prep work they require is a second nature to me but if you’re new to cooking with dried beans, here’s how you prep them:
- Check for stones. Spread the beans on a clean towel and remove any stones and damaged beans you can find. Small stones are pretty common in store-bought beans due to harvesting methods of large fields (thinking of all the machinery versus gentle hand-picking straight of the vine).
- Rinse well. Place the beans in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse them under cold water to wash away any traces of dirt.
- Soak. In a large bowl, dissolve 2 tbsp of salt per each 4 quarts of warm water and add 1/4 cup of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Soak beans for at least 8 hours, preferably 12 – 24 hours, in a bowl loosely covered at room temperature. Salted water results in creamier beans later.
- Drain and rinse. Drain the beans before cooking and rinse well. Discard all of the soaking water. The soaking water will contain complex carbohydrates that cause digestive issues so you don’t want to use it.
- Cook in your favorite recipe. Tip: As soon as the beans boil, turn the heat down and let the beans simmer to prevent bursting.
- As the beans cook, carefully skim off all foam that rises to the top of the cooking water.
See, not difficult at all! Not only the beans will be creamier if you soak them, they will also require less cooking time and their digestibility will improve. For another favorite bean recipes in my house, check this Italian Borlotti and Potato Soup recipe.
More bean recipes that you may like:
Creamy Ham and Bean Soup
Warm and creamy ham and bean soup with chunks of ham or pancetta is perfect for cooler days. It is thick and cream without the use of flour or cream.
Ingredients
- 8 oz cranberry/ cannellini/ pinto/ or navy dried beans pre-soaked
- 1 1/2 lb bone-in ham
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 tsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
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Prep ahead: Fill a large bowl with cole water and stir in 1 tablespoon sea salt. Place the cleaned and rinsed beans in the salted water, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and soak for 8-24 hours.
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Place rinsed beans in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add sliced onion and ham. Then top off with 2 more inches of water. Cover with a lid slightly askew. Bring to boil and immediately lower the heat to simmer. Simmer for about 90 minutes; until the beans are soft and ham is falling off the bone. *
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Occasionally check the soup and skim off any foam that may rise to the top of the water.
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Using kitchen things and a fork, pull the ham out of the pot on a cutting board. Carefully, shred the meat with two forks, separate any large pieces of fat. Set aside.
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Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it starts to look creamy and gets thicker. Don’t over-puree, you want to keep the majority of beans whole.
Alternatively, carefully pour 1/3 of the soup in a regular blender and puree it. Transfer the pureed portion back to the pot.
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Return the meat to the pot and discard the bone and fat. Season with salt, pepper, and parley flakes. Keep simmering and occasionally stirring for additional 30 minutes.
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Check for salt. The ham may have added enough salt to the soup but you can definitely add more if you'd like.
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Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.
Recipe Notes
Older dried beans may need to cook longer than the recipe calls for.
This recipe freezes exceptionally well and is a great make-ahead dish. It tastes even better after a day or two.
Garnish with red pepper flakes sparingly if you have toddlers. Otherwise, add as much as you want! 🙂
