THE BEST WHITE BEAN SOUP (2024)

FAQs

What is the best tasting white bean? ›

The best white bean is the cannellini bean—it's just so incredibly versatile thanks to its sturdy skin, cream texture, and neutral but slightly sweet flavor.

"The difference between the two rests primarily with the heartiness of the cannellini over the northern," explains Vince Hayward, the president of Camellia Brand beans. "Because of the thicker skin, and slightly bolder bean taste, the cannellini lends itself better towards soups and stews," Hayward adds.

What is the thickener in a white bean soup? In this recipe, what really thickens up the soup is the 15 oz of white beans that you are mashing and the starches from the potatoes. We aren't using cornstarch or a thickening agent in this recipe, it really doesn't need it!

What Are White Beans? White beans as a category includes navy beans, great northern beans, cannellini beans, baby lima beans, butter beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, etc. These are the most popular types of white beans (cooked white beans), however each type has its own unique peculiarities and features.

What is a White Bean? Some recipes simply call for “white beans.” This is a general term for great northern beans, navy beans, cannellini beans, and other similar beans.

Cannellini Beans are larger and heartier than Great Northerns and are sometimes referred to as “white kidney beans” because of their traditional kidney shape. You'll often find them mixed with pinto beans.

Cannellini Beans

They retain their shape and texture well, so they're perfect to use in salads, soups, stews, and chili.

Great Northerns are called “common beans” and are botanically classified as Phaseolus vulgaris alongside red kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, pink beans, and navy beans. These so-called common beans were spread through Central and South America by migrating farmers.

Sometimes soup just needs to simmer longer to reach the perfect consistency. Check to see if the vegetables are tender, and then taste the broth. If the soup tastes a bit watery, give it more time.

this is the easiest hack for thickening soups stews sauces and it does it instantly. instead of a roux or flour use cornstarch or arrowroot . equal parts water to cornstarch and arrowroot. mix that up and then you add it to simmering sauce or whatever.

How to make soup richer? ›

Another option for protein rich beans is the large white bean or cannellini bean. This tender, earthy bean is a great source of protein, with a little under 17 grams in a one-cup serving, and fiber.

While navy beans are great in soups specifically designed for them or in dishes like baked beans (where the acidic molasses aids in keeping bean skins intact during the long cooking), we would avoid using them as a substitute for cannellini beans.

It is a subspecies of the cowpea, an Old World plant domesticated in Africa, and is sometimes simply called a cowpea. Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. The common commercial variety is called the California Blackeye; it is pale-colored with a prominent black spot.

America's favorite bean is pinto beans, according to the U.S. Dry Beans Council, often used to make refried beans. Navy beans, Great Northern beans, red kidney beans and black beans round out the rest of the top five.

The reality is that even though the different varieties have slightly different flavors and sizes, (and everyone has their personal favorites), they're often used interchangeably in recipes.

Cannellini Beans.

They are one of the creamiest beans that are widely available in canned form. I absolutely adore them. If you cannot find them, you can substitute another white bean, but the end result won't be as creamy.

Did you know that pinto beans are the most consumed beans in the United States? The popular Pinto (Spanish for “painted”) bean has a mottled brown and pink surface that, when cooked, becomes a uniform auburn color.