White bean soup – Recipe

My late mother-in-law loved my white bean soup. She would ask me to make large portions so that she could give some to her friends. I became famous among the seniors set for my bean soup.

They said that they had never tasted anything like it. What was my secret?

White bean is usually made with a ham bone. As I seldom had a ham bone on hand, I made the stock with roasted pig’s feet that are sold in Chinese BBQ shops. The pig’s feet give a very rich and delicious taste to the soup. I think that was what they meant.

I was making bean soup so often that I started taking short cuts. It didn’t affect the taste at all. No one noticed. I didn’t use canned beans. I still soaked and boiled the beans but I stopped all the prep work with fresh vegetables and used dried vegetable flakes that I bought from the bulk foods section of the supermarket.

To make the stock:

1. Cook the pig’s feet in a pot of water. Add some bay leaves and black pepper corns. Simmer the soup until the meat is falling off the bone.
2. Strain the soup into a container. Cool and refrigerate overnight. The soup will set into a jelly.

Ingredients: For 6 servings

2 cups of great northern beans or any other kind of white beans
Stock made from BBQ roast pig’s feet
Half a cup of mixed, dried vegetable flakes
A tablespoon of Mrs. Dash
Garnish: Bits of crispy, fried bacon and chopped parsley

Method:

1. Soak the Great Northern in cold water overnight. The water should cover the beans.
2. On the next day, simmer the beans in a pot of water until soft. Drain the beans.
3. Remove the layer of fat that has hardened on top of the meat stock.
4. Put the stock into the pot with the beans. Add the dried vegetables and Mrs. Dash.
5. Simmer the soup for an hour.
6. Fry a few slices of bacon till crispy. Drain on paper towels. Break them into bits. Mince some parsley.
7. Use a wooden spoon to mash the beans. Thin the soup with some hot stock or water to the consistency you like.
8. Served the soup with a garnish of bacon bits and chopped parsley.