Bean Soup, (The Worlds Best)

A bean soup that respects bean science. The unusual move here is cooking the white beans entirely separately from the broth, then folding them in for the final half-hour simmer. The reason: salt and acid from the tomato, ham, and broth toughen bean skins, so beans cooked in seasoned liquid take twice as long and never go fully tender.

The two-step bean cook is a country technique. First, boil the beans briefly in plain water, drain, then start fresh in cold water for the long 2½-hour cook. That first quick boil washes out indigestible sugars that cause stomach upset, and the second pot of clean water gives them room to soften without interference.

Liquid smoke is what takes this soup from average to memorable. Two tablespoons stand in for the smoked-bone depth a country ham hock would otherwise contribute. It tastes like the soup simmered all day on a wood stove, even though it didn’t.

Diced ham, celery, onion, garlic, tomato, and potato simmer in chicken broth on the side, building flavor while the beans do their slow work. Once the beans are tender, everything joins for a last simmer to marry.

Chef Tips

• Salt the broth side, never the bean side, until the beans are fully cooked. Salting beans during cooking is the most common mistake that gives you tough, chewy skins.
• Use dried white beans (great northern, navy, or cannellini) rather than canned. Canned beans break down too fast and lack the same body.
• Mash a few beans against the side of the pot once they join the broth. The starch released thickens the soup naturally.
• Soup tastes better the next day. The smoke flavor mellows and the beans absorb the savory broth.

Variations

• Use a smoked ham hock instead of liquid smoke for traditional Southern flavor. Remove the meat from the bone after cooking.
• Add chopped kale or collard greens in the last 10 minutes for extra body.
• Stir in a splash of cider vinegar at the end to brighten everything up.