Name: Hearty White Bean Soup
Total time: 9 h 45 min
Ingredients: Salt and pepper; 1 pound (2 1/2 cups) dried cannellini beans , picked over and rinsed; 6 slices bacon , chopped fine; 1 pound Swiss chard , stems chopped, leaves sliced 1/2 inch thick; 1 onion , chopped; 2 celery ribs , cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 2 carrots , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 8 garlic cloves , minced; 4 cups chicken broth; 2 bay leaves; 1 sprig fresh rosemary; 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

Why This Recipe Works

Here in the test kitchen we know that flavorful, tender beans start with a soak in salty water. For this stew, we brine dried cannellini beans overnight. Bacon provides a smoky flavor base for this mostly vegetable dish, and we use the rendered fat to soften onions, carrots, celery, and Swiss chard stems. After adding the brined beans and chicken broth, we move the pot to the oven, waiting until later to add the canned tomatoes (acidic ingredients can prevent beans from softening fully) and the delicate leaves of the Swiss chard. Once everything is tender, we add back the bacon right before serving to keep it crispy.

Before You Begin

You can substitute collard greens or kale for the Swiss chard. In place of the cannellini beans, you can use any small white bean, such as great Northern or navy beans. Cooking times for all dried beans can vary depending on the age of the beans; taste the simmering beans often for doneness.

Instructions

Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.

Return now-empty pot to medium heat and add Swiss chard stems, onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, 3 cups water, bay leaves, rosemary sprig, and soaked beans. Increase heat to high and bring to boil. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until beans are almost tender (very center of beans will still be firm), 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove pot from oven and stir in Swiss chard leaves and tomatoes and their juice. Cover pot, return to oven, and continue to cook until beans are fully tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Discard bay leaves and rosemary sprig. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in reserved bacon. Serve.