Burnt Lemon Garlic + Herb White Bean Soup
Soup season has commenced.
This was one of the first meals I learned how to cook for myself without needing to really follow a “recipe”. It was more about technique and learning to trust my instinct. I will say, the first time I made this I fucked it up…badly. First off, I added all my herbs in loose and was devastated when I realized I would have to individually fish out all my coarse rosemary and thyme stems. SMH newbie mistake. Secondly, I added an ungodly amount of salt… so much that it actually was inedible by the time it was done and I had to toss it lol. It wasn’t funny at the time, because the perfectionist part of me really wanted to nail it on the first try. But looking back, it taught me patience and consistency. I kept making these beans until I got it right, over and over and over again.
Anyway, I think I was using a Bon Appetit recipe as a guideline, and they kept encouraging you to add more and more salt as the beans cook. The problem was, they never actually gave you an estimated measurement, it was all just left to chance - so I just went for it. I promise I won’t do you like that, and I will give you an estimate for the amount of salt to use, however add it gradually.
Ingredients:
1-1 1/2 cups dry white beans (soaked in water overnight)
2 tbsp sea salt
1 lemon sliced in half
1 head of garlic (either slice the whole top open, or pop individual cloves right in)
1 chopped red onion (sometimes I alternate with shallots)
fresh thyme, rosemary, sage (marjoram optional but recommended)
kitchen twine (A MUST)
Block of Parmesan + Rind
Olive Oil
Optional: Add your favorite greens once the beans are done cooking - I find spinach, kale, or swiss chard work really well.
**Pro tip: Always buy parmesan in block form so you can save your parmesan rinds for an ultimate flavor bomb when making soups and stews! I keep a bag of them in my freezer, but they last super super long in the fridge as well.
Instructions:
Soak your beans overnight in water to plump them up!
Drain your beans and add them to a large soup pot. Cover with water, the beans should have at least an inch of water above them.
In a dry cast iron pan, sear your lemon halves face down until caramelized. Then chuck them in with your beans.
Now we are going to create two small bundles of herbs. Mix equal parts of your herbs into two separate piles. Wrap each bundle tightly in kitchen twine, don’t leave too many open gaps for stems to slip out.
Toss one herb bundle, parmesan rind, and all your garlic and onions to the pot. Now we begin salting, I usually end up using a little more than 2 tbsp to salt the entire pot. BUT - I recommend starting with 1 full tbsp, let the beans come to a simmer and then taste the broth. If it’s still pretty bland, add another 1/2 tbsp, taste again and repeat with another 1/2 tbsp if needed.
Turn heat on medium - low setting and bring to a slight simmer (NOT BOIL) . Cover the pot, adjusting heat as necessary to make sure it doesn’t boil. Let cook for about an hour, testing beans every 20-30 min to make sure they don’t overcook.
After about 30 - 40 minutes I like to add my second herb bundle. I find that adding some of the herbs once the soup is just about done, gives it the perfect flavor. (I usually add it in once the beans are tender enough to smash in between my fingers but still have a slight bite in the middle)
Once the beans reach the perfect consistency remove from heat and fish out the two herb bundles and parmesan rind. Cover the soup with a few generous glugs of olive oil. It should form a thin layer over the whole soup. (This would also be the perfect time to add any fresh greens to the soup)
Serve with grated parmesan, and a side of obligatory crunchy + buttery garlic toast. Enjoy! <3
