Yellow Eye Bean Soup

By Leslie Blythe Beans, Vegetarian Sautéing, Simmering

November 30, 2022

These Yellow Eye Beans are from Rancho Gordo. They are amazing heirloom bean producers located in Napa, California. I decided to make this rustic Yellow Eye Bean Soup from The New York Times. These beans are absolutely incredible, and very creamy inside. These beans are rich, creamy, and mild and are traditionally used for New England style baked beans. There is nothing better on a cold night than to have rustic bean soup with some crusty bread.

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 1 hr 35 mins
Yields: 6 - 8 Servings

Ingredients

For the beans

3 cups yellow eye beans, soaked 4 to 6 hours (see note)

1 carrot, peeled

2 ribs celery, halved

1 onion, quartered

1 head garlic, halved across the equator

Stems from 1 bunch Italian parsley, tied in a cheesecloth sachet

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the soup

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

3 large carrots, peeled and diced

5 ribs celery, diced

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, diced

1 head garlic, cloves peeled and finely grated

1½ teaspoons red chili flakes, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

1 cup canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, drained and chopped

½ cup Italian parsley, chopped

Rustic bread, sliced

1 clove garlic, halved

Directions

1For the Beans

2Prepare the beans:

3Drain the beans and place them in a large pot. Add 3 quarts cold water, the carrot, celery, onion, garlic and parsley stem sachet. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the top. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the beans are soft and creamy, but not falling apart - 1 to 3 hours according to the package instructions. Add the salt, pepper and olive oil. Discard the sachet and vegetables. Let the beans cool in the liquid.

4Prepare the soup: Pour the olive oil into a large pot set over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, leeks, garlic, chili and rosemary. Cook until the rawness of the vegetables is just gone, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until slightly caramelized, about 3 minutes more. Add the beans and their cooking liquid, bring to a boil and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This is optional, but I used an immersion blender and blended about half of the soup.

5Just before serving, add the parsley. Toast the bread slices. While still hot, rub them with the garlic halves, then tear into large pieces. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a few toasts, then drizzle with olive oil.

Recipe adapted from New York Times Cooking.

Rancho Gordo beans are available at ranchogordo.com

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