How to Make Bean Soup

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 10, 2022 References Tested

Beans are a delicious, filling, and very cheap ingredient that work with almost any meal. If you’re heading into the colder seasons, there’s nothing that will warm you up quite like a big bowl of soup. By making a simple bean soup, and customizing it to your own tastes, you can have a delicious dish for any occasion.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil
2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
2 sticks of celery
1 tablespoon (17 g) of salt
1 tablespoon (6 g) of pepper
2 14-oz (400-g) cans of beans, such as black or cannellini beans
2 cups (470 ml) of liquid stock, like chicken or vegetable
2 red or green bell peppers (optional)
1 tablespoon (6 g) of thyme, rosemary, oregano, or cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon (2 g) of chili powder or cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon (6 g) of smoked paprika (optional)
Shredded or diced meat, such as chicken, ham, or beef (optional)
¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) of cream or milk (optional)
4 eggs (optional)
Fresh bread or tortillas (optional)

Makes 4 servings

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Sauteing the Vegetables

1
Heat some olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Pour roughly 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil into a large saucepan and place it over a medium heat. Let the oil begin warming, to the point that it is easily moved around the bottom of the saucepan when tilted.^{[1]
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- Any other cooking oil will work here, such as vegetable or canola, but it may not taste quite the same. If you don’t like the taste of olive oil, use an oil that you enjoy instead.
- You can begin cutting up the vegetables in the next few steps while waiting for the oil to heat up, which should save on time.
2
Dice onions and garlic and add them to the pot. Place the 2 onions on a chopping board. Cut them in half lengthways, peel away the outer layers, and use a sharp knife to dice them finely. Peel and dice 2 cloves of garlic as well, and add them to the saucepan with the hot oil to begin sauteing.^{[2]
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- There are plenty of different ways to cut onion and garlic. Choose an easy method that works for you.
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3
Trim and slice 2 sticks of celery. Place 2 sticks of celery on a chopping board and slice in half lengthways. Line the celery sticks up and use a sharp knife to cut them into chunks that are roughly ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) in width. Add the chopped celery to the pan with the onion, garlic, and oil.^{[3]
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- The celery will help add a little sweetness and freshness to the soup, but it can also be left out if you don’t like the taste.
4
Chop up some bell peppers for a spicier soup. If you like a little more heat or spiciness, you can add some bell peppers or capsicum to the soup. Cut up a few bell peppers into a rough, ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) dice and add them to the saucepan to begin cooking.^{[4]
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- For a little more variety, use 1 green bell pepper and 1 red bell pepper, chopped in the same way.
- If you want even more of a kick to your soup, try adding some finely diced chili peppers as well. Finely slice 1 fresh red chili pepper and add it to the saucepan with the other ingredients.
5
Mix in any other vegetables you want to. One of the great things about soup is how easy it is to customize and how difficult it is to mess up. Add any other vegetables you have in your kitchen to the soup, chopping them into roughly ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) pieces before stirring them in.
- Mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, and peas could all make great additions to this soup. Add whatever you have on hand and see how it tastes!
6
Cook the vegetables for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are fragrant. Use a wooden spoon to stir the vegetables around in the pot as they cook to ensure they cook evenly. Let them saute for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and all of the other vegetables become fragrant.^{[5]
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- While they will cook further as the soup cooks, sauteing the vegetables first will make the whole dish taste much better. If you’re particularly short on time, you can throw them into the saucepan with all the other ingredients to cook.
- The vegetables should be vibrant colors and just beginning to soften after around 10 to 15 minutes. These signs, along with the more fragrant aroma of the vegetables, are a good sign that they are ready.
7
Add salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you like. As with any dish, you should season it with salt and pepper as you cook. Sprinkle over roughly 1 tablespoon (17 g) of salt and 1 tablespoon (6 g) of black pepper and stir to combine. If you want to add any other flavors or seasonings to the soup, mix them in now.^{[6]
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- For a little aromatic freshness, try mixing in 1 tablespoon (6 g) of thyme, rosemary, oregano, or cilantro.
- If you want a little extra spiciness, add in 1 teaspoon (2 g) of chili powder or cayenne pepper.
- For a slightly smoky flavor in your soup, mix in 1 tablespoon (6 g) of smoked paprika.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Cooking the Beans

1
Pour 2 cans of tinned beans into the saucepan. You can use almost any type of bean that you like or just that you have on hand for a bean soup. Pour 2 14-oz (40- g) cans of black, kidney, cannellini, or whatever other types of canned bean you have into the saucepan and stir to combine.^{[7]
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- You can also use dried beans that have soaked first instead. Boil 1 cup (225 g) of dried beans in enough water to cover them for around 2 minutes, before leaving them to soak for around 1 hour.
- Use whichever type of bean you like the most, or whichever one you have the easiest access to.
2
Add 2 cups (470 ml) of stock to the pot. The stock will help build some of the flavors of the soup, as well as giving the beans something more to cook in. Add around 2 cups (470 ml) of whatever stock you have on hand or that you enjoy. Chicken and vegetable stock will both work excellently, but you can easily use beef stock or even just water instead.^{[8]
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- For a slightly more complex flavor in your finished soup, try adding different types of stock. Use 1 cup (240 ml) each of chicken and vegetable stock, or any other combination you like. Soup is easy to customize and very difficult to mess up, so see what flavors you can come up with to complement the beans!
3
Stir in some diced ham or bacon for a meatier soup. If you want some extra protein or flavor in your soup, roughly chop up some ham, fried bacon, cooked sausage, or whatever other meat you have available. Scatter over the top of your soup and mix it in.^{[9]
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- This is another great point to customize your soup to your own preferences. Leftover chicken, beef, lamb, ham, meatballs, and anything else can add some more flavor to the soup.
- Use roughly 1 cup (125 g to 175 g) of whatever diced meat you choose to use. You can add more or less depending on how meaty you want your soup to be.
- If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, or you simply don’t want to add meat to your soup, feel free to skip this step.
4
Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes. Give the soup a good final stir to make sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated and combined. Reduce the heat to low and bring the soup to a simmer. Cover it and leave it to simmer for around 40 minutes, giving it time to thicken up and cook the beans.^{[10]
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- If you want a thicker soup, remove the lid after 40 minutes and let it simmer for a further 10 minutes. This will let more liquid cook off and result in a thicker, heartier soup.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Finishing the Soup

1
Blend the soup to your desired consistency. Once you’ve given the soup enough time to simmer and cook, take it off the heat. Use a hand or stick blender to begin processing the soup and blending some of the beans and other ingredients. This will make it creamier and a little smoother.^{[11]
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- The more you blend your soup, the thicker and smoother it will be. For a thinner soup with more chunks, blend the soup for only a few seconds. Alternately, you can avoid blending it at all for a very thin and chunky soup.
- If you prefer your soup to be thick and very smooth, blend it until all of the beans have been processed and the soup reaches a creamier consistency.
- If you don’t have a hand or stick blender, you can pour your soup in the jug of a standard kitchen blender to process it slightly. You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your blender.
2
Add some milk or cream for some extra richness. If you want your soup to be a little richer or creamier, measure out roughly ¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) of milk or cream and pour into the simmered soup. Mix it thoroughly to combine for a slightly smoother and richer soup.^{[12]
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- If you want to keep this recipe vegan, you can skip this step entirely.
- You could also use the same amount of sour cream or yogurt for extra thickness and creaminess. However, this will also impart the flavor of your chosen yogurt or sour cream into the soup. If you don't like the taste of sour cream, yogurt, milk, or cream, then leave them out of this dish.
3
Poach some eggs in the soup for some extra protein. Once you’ve blended the soup to your desired consistency, place it back over a medium heat and bring it to a simmer. Break 4 eggs into the soup so that they are spread apart and just submerged. Leave the eggs to cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until the whites are cooked and the yolks are runny.^{[13]
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- When serving, fill a bowl with soup and place the poached eggs onto it last. When you pierce the yolk, it will run across the soup, both looking and tasting incredible.
- Break the eggs, one at a time, into a small bowl first. Use the bowl to pour the eggs carefully into the soup. This will help keep the eggs together as you transfer them to the saucepan.
4
Serve the soup with some fresh bread or warmed tortillas. Spoon the soup into a large bowl while it is still hot to serve. Eat it alongside some freshly cooked or lightly toasted bread, or opt for some tortillas that have been warmed through as an accompaniment.^{[14]
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- Once cooked, you can store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Warnings

Use oven mitts or a dry tea towel to handle the pot once the soup has simmered, as it will be very hot.

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If you add chili peppers to the soup, make sure you wear gloves while handling them or wash your hands thoroughly afterward.

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Be careful when lifting the lid off of the simmered soup, as built up steam may escape quickly. Never stand over the pot as you take the lid off.

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