Italian Red Rose Bean Soup
This is one of my favorite recipes that I have come up with. I do not get the chance to make it often, because I really like to use the beans I made it for to put all the work in. I have not had access to a garden in a while, so I have not grown the Italian Red Rose Beans. They are not a bean you typically find at the store. The origin of this recipe was that I had planted these one year for fun, but then I needed to make something out of them. I was never a fan of dry beans, so of course I would plant them for fun. As it turned out, these were way better fresh or dried than the typical store beans.
One thing that I did in summer was cook the shelled beans when fresh and toss with seeded tomatoes and a dressing of olive oil, balsamic or red wine vinegar, fresh herbs, and salt. That made a nice summer salad, but I would also be drying and saving the beans. I spent the whole summer thinking about how I would make this soup.
I do not like bean soups as a rule, so I decided that I wanted to make a bean soup that had a rich and satisfying flavor. I accomplished this with the use of salt pork and ham broth. The soup has a rich flavor, but it is not a rich soup. I also did not want a lot of other vegetable disrupting the experience of the beans and ham pieces, so I decided to make a super fine mince (not quite a smooth purée) of carrots, celery, and onion so that I would get the flavor and they could hang out in the background. The soup came out as I conceived it, and I really would not change anything. I know what other beans I might use if I wanted to, and I can imagine a vegetarian version.
It is unusual for me to think that way about food that I make. Most of what I cooked can be tweaked and I would still call it the same thing. I like to change a few things in pot roast from time to time because of my mood or what is on hand. No matter what, I would call it my grandmas pot roast and say that I spice it up way more than she would have. However, with this soup, the techniques and flavor profile already produce a well balanced soup that stands on its own. If you change those, then you have a different soup. It may also be good, but it is not this soup.
Recommended Beans: Italian Red Rose Bean; Cranberry Bean; or a mild white bean like a Great Northern Bean or Cannellini Bean. Portions below are based on using a 10 quart stock pot.
Ingredients:
One thing that I did in summer was cook the shelled beans when fresh and toss with seeded tomatoes and a dressing of olive oil, balsamic or red wine vinegar, fresh herbs, and salt. That made a nice summer salad, but I would also be drying and saving the beans. I spent the whole summer thinking about how I would make this soup.
I do not like bean soups as a rule, so I decided that I wanted to make a bean soup that had a rich and satisfying flavor. I accomplished this with the use of salt pork and ham broth. The soup has a rich flavor, but it is not a rich soup. I also did not want a lot of other vegetable disrupting the experience of the beans and ham pieces, so I decided to make a super fine mince (not quite a smooth purée) of carrots, celery, and onion so that I would get the flavor and they could hang out in the background. The soup came out as I conceived it, and I really would not change anything. I know what other beans I might use if I wanted to, and I can imagine a vegetarian version.
It is unusual for me to think that way about food that I make. Most of what I cooked can be tweaked and I would still call it the same thing. I like to change a few things in pot roast from time to time because of my mood or what is on hand. No matter what, I would call it my grandmas pot roast and say that I spice it up way more than she would have. However, with this soup, the techniques and flavor profile already produce a well balanced soup that stands on its own. If you change those, then you have a different soup. It may also be good, but it is not this soup.
RECIPE NOTES
Salt - There is not a need to add salt to this soup until the very end because the ham and salt pork will probably provide all the salt you need, including when you sweat the vegetables.
Beans - Use
fresh shelling beans if you have them. If you do, then only cook them the
morning of. Fully cook them before combining with other ingredients.
Ham - Any smoked ham and bones would work. You could use ham neck bones, however, there are more small bones to watch out for. Ideally you want one really meaty smoke hock, but if they are small or scrawny, get two. Do not cheat, make your own ham broth. It is really easy to do because you do not have to prep the meat yourself. Just let the hock simmer and wait. The cubed meat is here to play second fiddle to the beans as far as textures in the soup. You will have far more beans in the soup than pieces of ham. It is the broth that is bringing the ham flavor to the soup.
Make ahead - Make and serve same day, or make ahead and re-heat. This soup tastes even better as it sits.
Serving - The portions in the soup should end up so that the bottom 1/3 of the pot has the solids like the vegetable purée and the top top two thirds has the broth and whatever beans and ham that might be floating. The bowls should be similarly composed.
Freezing - Even though the recipe makes a lot, you do not have to worry about using it all up at once, because this soup freezes well.
Vegetarian - If you want to make it vegetarian; use the oil of your choice and a vegetable broth. A mushroom broth might help to give it the depth that the ham broth gives the soup. I have not tried to make a vegetarian version, so that is my best guess an something that would give the richest flavor. There is no way to completely replace the ham broth. I do not think that you would need to add something to replace the ham since this is a soup that is all about the beans.
Ham - Any smoked ham and bones would work. You could use ham neck bones, however, there are more small bones to watch out for. Ideally you want one really meaty smoke hock, but if they are small or scrawny, get two. Do not cheat, make your own ham broth. It is really easy to do because you do not have to prep the meat yourself. Just let the hock simmer and wait. The cubed meat is here to play second fiddle to the beans as far as textures in the soup. You will have far more beans in the soup than pieces of ham. It is the broth that is bringing the ham flavor to the soup.
Make ahead - Make and serve same day, or make ahead and re-heat. This soup tastes even better as it sits.
Serving - The portions in the soup should end up so that the bottom 1/3 of the pot has the solids like the vegetable purée and the top top two thirds has the broth and whatever beans and ham that might be floating. The bowls should be similarly composed.
Freezing - Even though the recipe makes a lot, you do not have to worry about using it all up at once, because this soup freezes well.
Vegetarian - If you want to make it vegetarian; use the oil of your choice and a vegetable broth. A mushroom broth might help to give it the depth that the ham broth gives the soup. I have not tried to make a vegetarian version, so that is my best guess an something that would give the richest flavor. There is no way to completely replace the ham broth. I do not think that you would need to add something to replace the ham since this is a soup that is all about the beans.
Recommended Beans: Italian Red Rose Bean; Cranberry Bean; or a mild white bean like a Great Northern Bean or Cannellini Bean. Portions below are based on using a 10 quart stock pot.
Ingredients:
- 1.5-2 pounds dry beans (4.5-6cups)
- 1-2 Smoked ham hocks
- 8-16 oz. of Salt pork [fat back] (30-15% lean)
- Onions (2-4 large or 5-7 medium or small)
- Carrots (1/2 to 3/4’s of a pound)
- Celery (at least half a bunch)
- Oregano (~1 tbsp. for a large pot)
- Thyme (1 tsp. thyme)
- Bay Leaf (2 for a large stock pot)
- Pepper to taste
- Salt (only if necessary after all ingredients have been combined and simmered)
Day 1 Instructions:
- Make a ham broth from the smoked hock. Cover hock with water and simmer 3-5 hours on the stove, or place on low heat in a crock-pot for 6-8 hours or high for 5-6. Skim off fat.
- When broth is done, remove bone and allow meat to cool. After it has cooled, remove meat from bone. Make sure to cut up large pieces of meat before putting them into the soup.
- Put dry beans in water according to package directions, maybe with a little less water (6 cups). Bring to a boil and turn off. Soak beans overnight. (If you have fresh shelling beans, cook on day 2 instead.)
- (Optional) - You may wish to prep the carrots, onion, and celery for processing a day ahead. Peel and cut into 1/2” pieces and place in an airtight container overnight.
Day 2 Instructions:
- Cook beans until just tender. Meanwhile reheat ham broth.
- Peel and cut carrots, onions, and celery into 1/2” pieces and chop until fine in food processor. Do not skip this processing step because you want a really fine mirepoix base for this soup.
- Separate fat from lean of salt pork. Dice the meat. Score and render the remaining fat in the bottom of your stock pot and remove. Add the diced salt pork and allow to start cooking for a few minutes until the diced pork has a nice sear.
- When the salt pork is cooked, put in the mirepoix mix and cook 10-15 minutes with the lid on. Stir occasionally. They should be turning translucent when ready. You can add the bay leaf during this step.
- Add the oregano and thyme to taste – suggested amounts in ingredient list.
- Add ham meat (if your hocks were not meaty, add some cubed ham also if desired); then add the beans; add however much of the bean water and ham broth you can fit in your pot (at a 1 to 1 ratio). The pot should be filled to three-quarters of the way up. Extra broth or bean water can be frozen for other uses.
- Simmer 30-45 minutes before serving. Taste and add salt if needed.
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