Crowd-Pleasing White Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 2 pounds dry great Northern beans
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium onions, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, finely chopped
• 1 pound cooked ham, finely diced
• 6 medium tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ¾ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Step 1

Sort through the beans and giving them a good rinse, just like the package suggests. Toss them into a slow cooker that’s at least 3 1/2 quarts, then fill it up with water all the way. Let the beans soak for at least 8 hours or overnight, but don’t turn the cooker on yet.

Step 2

After soaking, drain the water and add fresh water to the slow cooker. Set it to Low and let the beans cook until they’re tender, which should take around 8 hours.

Step 3

While the beans are cooking, heat some oil in a big pot over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onions and carrots, and cook them gently, stirring now and then, until the onions are soft and the carrots start to loosen up—about 5 minutes. Then, stir in the ham, tomatoes, and garlic, letting everything simmer together for another 5 minutes.

Step 4

Once the beans are done, puree about two-thirds of them in a blender or food processor in batches. Use some of the bean cooking liquid to help blend them smoothly, adding a little water if needed. Pour the pureed beans back into the pot with the rest of the whole beans. Add enough water to get your soup to the thickness you like.

Step 5

Finally, stir in the parsley, thyme, celery salt, and regular salt and pepper. Let the soup simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until it’s heated through and all the veggies are nice and soft—about 20 minutes. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if you need to, then dig in!