5 Bean Soup

Five different beans in one pot is not overkill, it’s strategy. Each bean brings something the others can’t: pintos go creamy, navy beans turn buttery, great northerns hold their shape, red beans add color and richness, and black-eyed peas bring an earthy, almost smoky note that plays beautifully against the actual smoke from the ham bone.

The ham bone is doing more work than you think. As it simmers, it releases gelatin and salty, smoky pork flavor that transforms the broth from soup into something with body. Ask your butcher to crack the bone in half so the marrow has somewhere to go.

An overnight soak is a must, not a suggestion. Unsoaked beans cook unevenly, with hard centers and blown-out skins on the outside. Twelve hours in cold water is the sweet spot.

Simmer low and slow. A hard boil tears bean skins and turns the pot cloudy. You want barely-perceptible bubbles for the entire three hours.

Kitchen Tips

• Add the tomatoes and acidic ingredients only after the beans are tender. Acid stalls bean softening.
• Skim foam off the top during the first 30 minutes for a clearer, cleaner broth.
• Save a cup of the cooked beans, mash them, and stir back in to thicken without flour.
• This soup tastes better on day two. The flavors marry overnight in the fridge.

Variations

• Swap in a smoked turkey leg or smoked sausage for a different smoky profile.
• Stir in a handful of chopped kale or collards during the last 10 minutes for greens.
• Bump up the heat with a chipotle in adobo or a pinch of cayenne. Serve with cornbread.