Navy Bean Soup Cuban Style
Submitted by jlsayle
Cuban-style navy bean soup simmered with smoked ham, salt pork, butternut squash, and potato in a sofrito-tomato base. Thick, smoky, and deeply satisfying.
YIELD
1 batchPREP
8 hrsCOOK
2 hrsREADY
11 hrsCuban bean soups are built on layers of smoke and slow-cooked richness, and this one delivers all of that. Dried navy beans simmer with salt pork and bay leaves until creamy, then get loaded up with a garlicky sofrito of onion, green pepper, tomato sauce, oregano, and diced smoked ham.
Butternut squash and potato go in during the last 30 minutes. The squash partially breaks down and thickens the broth into something almost velvety, while the potato chunks hold their shape and add starchy substance to every spoonful.
The clever move here is boiling the squash separately, then using that starchy squash water in the soup. Nothing gets wasted, and the broth picks up extra body.
Chef Tips
- Soak the beans overnight if using dried. They’ll cook more evenly and in closer to 1 hour rather than 2 ½
- Canned great northern beans work as a shortcut. Skip the soak and simmer steps and add them when you add the sofrito
- Don’t skip the salt pork. It renders fat that carries the smoke flavor through the entire pot. Remove it before serving
- This soup thickens considerably as it sits. Add water or broth when reheating leftovers
Variations
- Swap navy beans for black beans and serve with a squeeze of lime for a more traditional Cuban black bean soup
- Add a splash of white vinegar at the end for brightness, a common Cuban finishing touch
- Use chorizo instead of smoked ham for a spicier, paprika-forward version
Ingredients
Directions
Rinse dried navy beans in cold water, pick over to remove foreign particles, and soak covered in water overnight. Drain beans and place them in a large saucepan with 2½ quarts water, bay leaves, and salt pork. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until tender, 1 to 2½ hours, adding water if necessary. (If using canned beans, the above step is unnecessary, since beans are already cooked.)
In a medium-size skillet, heat olive oil and sauté onion, green pepper, garlic, oregano, ham, and tomato sauce for 10 minutes. In a separate saucepan, boil squash chunks for 5 minutes. Remove from water, adding same water to tomato mixture. Peel squash. When beans are tender, add tomato mixture, potato, salt, pepper, and squash. Continue cooking another 30 minutes. Remove salt pork and discard. Serve in soup bowls.
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