Ham and Bean Soup Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

FAQs

Why does my ham and bean soup taste bland? ›

Not Adding Acid

If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl.

Yes.You can thicken your soup in various ways, such as mashing some of the beans, using a roux, incorporating cornstarch or flour mixed with water, or adding pureed vegetables. Each method can also add a slight variation to the flavor and nutritional content of your soup.

Add More Beans

One of the simplest ways to thicken up your ham and bean soup is by adding more beans. The beans will naturally release starch as they cook, which will help to thicken the soup.

In the House, the lore behind the soup is slightly different, per the Office of the Historian website, which reads: "Bean soup became a permanent fixture in the institution when Speaker Joe Cannon of Illinois discovered that his favorite meal had not been prepared by the kitchen staff on a hot, summer day in 1904.

Foods that have a great deal of acidity, like lemon juice, vinegar, white wine, and tomato puree, can help liven up the flavor of bland-tasting bone and other broths. "The acidity of these ingredients works to complement and enhance the broth's flavors, not mask it.

Garlic and onions will bolster the taste of bean soup. Be sure to take a portion of the beans and mash or purée them for extra texture. Aromatics like celery or carrot will add more complex flavor notes. Despite being expensive, both mushrooms and Parmesan cheese will add some real umami (i.e., mouth feel) to the soup.

To cut down on the gassy properties, you can add a little baking soda to your recipe. The baking soda helps break down some of the beans' natural gas-making sugars. I tested this while fixing one of my favorite slow cooker recipes: red beans and sausage.

This soup-thickening hack couldn't be easier. Unlike using flour, which requires either making a little roux before you start cooking or a beurre manié afterwards, or using a cornstarch slurry that can create a gloppy texture, the instant mashed potato flakes can simply be sprinkled into the finished dish.

If you need it a little thicker, just blend up a more beans and broth until your desired consistency is reached. After the beans are cooked, take 1/3 of the soup and blend it to a puree, then stir it back into the soup. This will give it a creamy consistency.

It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. If you need to substitute cornstarch to thicken liquid in a recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you only need two tablespoons cornstarch.

What is the best thickener for soup? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

"Broths and condensed soups are notorious for being salty," she says. She warns that many spice blends contain added salt, too. Be sure to read the labels of your ingredients. You may also have to avoid adding salt if you're cooking with sodium-filled meats like ham or bacon.

Although these two beans are very similar to one another, they are each a different variety. The main difference between the two is that white Navy beans are smaller than white Great Northern beans. However, they have similar culinary uses and can easily be substituted for one another.

Research shows that consuming a cup of legumes every day is effective in reducing blood sugar levels (7). Helps fight cancer. Beans contain several phenolic compounds that have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Beans and toast is a breakfast tradition in the UK (it's both adored and loathed) that has stood the test of time. The story goes that in 1927 an executive at Heinz decided to create a national dish in order to sell more canned beans and an iconic dish was born.

Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples

Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. Chances are, you could use a little more salt. Go ahead—it's ok. Salt perks up flat flavors and helps balance out bitter-tasting ingredients.

By far the biggest reason for flavorless liquids is because you add water instead of broth, not knowing exactly how much broth:water was added makes things hard to pin down. Water has no flavor at all and also takes away flavor in the process.

Always Add Aromatics to the Pot

It may sound too basic to be true, but aside from salt, there is no more drastic way to improve the flavor of your dried beans than to cook them with flavor-enhancing vegetables and fragrant, woodsy herbs.

Undercooking your beans

Overcooking can detract from the eating experience, leaving your beans bland and lifeless. Undercooking beans, on the other hand, can put yourself at risk of food-borne illness. This is especially true for red beans like kidney beans.