Southern Bean Soup

This is humble, down-home Southern cooking at its most satisfying, a pot of pinto beans coaxed into a creamy, smoky soup with little more than bacon, cabbage, and time. It costs next to nothing and feeds a houseful.

It starts where a lot of good Southern dishes do: with bacon. You render it, then soften cabbage and onion right in the bacon grease, which lays down a smoky, savory base before any water goes in. The beans join, the pot fills with water, and then it’s a long, low simmer.

That patience pays off. Over a few hours, the beans break down and thicken the broth into something creamy all on its own, no flour or cream needed. Season toward the end so the beans stay tender, and serve it the traditional way: a wedge of warm cornbread for sopping and a few sliced tomatoes on the side.

Kitchen Tips

• Cook the cabbage and onion in the bacon grease; that smoky, savory base is the soul of the soup.
• Season toward the end of cooking, since salting beans too early can keep them from softening.
• Let it simmer long and low so the beans break down and thicken the broth naturally.

Variations

• Use a ham hock or smoked turkey leg in place of, or alongside, the bacon for deeper smoke.
• Add diced carrot, a splash of hot sauce, or a pinch of red pepper flakes for color and heat.