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Smoky Bean Soup with Tarragon

Here's a marriage of smoke and tarragon that produces an unusual but wonderful blend of flavors. It's a surprisingly easy soup to create, particularly if you use canned beans. If you serve the soup before a main dish, you may want to leave out the ham. If the soup is your main meal, you may want to add ham and accompany the soup with bread, butter and/or cheese. Use chicken or vegetable stock or broth or even water saved from draining boiled potatoes; water alone produces a bland soup.

KeySmoke. You'll find "liquid smoke" among the BBQ sauces in the supermarket's condiments section (it's used primarily for grilling meats). My favorite is Wright's® Mesquite Liquid Smoke. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and add more, if desired, before serving. If you use meat in the soup, consider smoked ham or smoked bacon.

KeyBeans. White beans are the ticket (such as navy, Great Northern, or cannellini). To impress your friends, take the extra time to make the soup from dry beans, but quality canned beans should do just fine. Rinse beans well before adding to the soup.

KeyQuantities. Soup is very flexible as to ingredients, quantities, cooking times, etc. If, for example, you prefer a thicker soup, simply add more beans or reduce the liquid amounts. The recipe quantities below are suggested only—vary beans and liquid to suit your preference (this will also affect the number of servings).

Soup flavor improves with time; simmer as long as possible. Soup is even better the next day.

Total time about 2 hours (with extra time for dry bean preparation).

SHOPPING LIST:
Jerry's Recipes
  • Dry or canned white beans
  • Bay leaves (for dry beans)
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Carrot
  • Vegetable or chicken stock
  • Cooked ham
  • Tarragon leaves
  • Liquid smoke
  • Balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
  • Parsley or chives

Prepare the beans (for DRY beans)
Use 1/2 to 1 pound (8 to 16 oz) dry beans. Follow directions at How to Prepare Dry Beans
EXCEPT cook for only one hour. Then drain and set aside.

Prepare the beans (for CANNED beans)
Rinse and drain beans thoroughly. Then set aside.
  • 3 to 5 14-oz cans white beans


Prepare soup
1
In a large pot, heat oil, then cook gently ("sweat") until onions are translucent (5-7 minutes)
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
  • Optional: 1 medium carrot, finely chopped

2
Add, bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer—covered—about 1 hour or more if using dry beans or 15-20 minutes if using canned beans. Stir occasionally.
  • reserved beans (see above)
  • 5-6 cups (40-48 oz) chicken or vegetable stock
    (or mixture of stock and water)
  • Optional: 4-6 oz cooked ham, chopped

3
EITHER: Use a immersion (stick) blender in the pot to gently purée the soup, leaving some beans intact,
OR: put about 2/3 of the soup into a blender. Purée, then pour back into soup pot.
4
Stir in and continue cooking gently another few minutes
  • 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, minced,
    or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • splash of balsamic vinegar or 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

To serve:
  • To enrich the soup, add half-and-half or cream to individual servings
  • Garnish servings liberally with chopped fresh chives or parsley, chopped

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