If you don’t have time to soak the dried beans for 8 hours or overnight, try this quick-soak method. Put the beans in a large pot, add water 2 inches above the beans, and bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 1 hour. Drain the beans, and then cook according to the recipe.
Capitol Hill Bean Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 pound dried white navy beans, sorted of debris and rinsed
- 1 (about 1-lb.) ham bone or uncured ham hock
- 2 1/2 quarts water
- 1 large russet potato (about 8 oz.)
- 3 cups chopped celery (about 6 stalks)
- 3 cups chopped yellow onion (about 3 medium onions)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
How to Make It:
- Place beans in a Dutch oven; add water to cover, and soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain beans. Add ham bone and water. Cover and bring to a boil over high; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 hour.
- Rinse potato; pierce with a fork, and wrap potato in a paper towel. Microwave on HIGH until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes; peel and mash potato. Stir potato, celery, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper into bean mixture; simmer over medium-low until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Remove ham bone from Dutch oven, and let stand until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard bone and fat; dice meat, and stir into bean mixture. Top each serving with chopped parsley.
