HAM and BEAN SOUP RECIPE!!! + WonkyWonderful (2024)

FAQs

Why do you put vinegar in bean soup? ›

Wait until the beans are tender but not quite done to add a splash of apple cider vinegar and a couple teaspoons of salt to the pot. The apple cider vinegar breaks down indigestible sugars to help digestion and also brightens the flavor of the beans without the need for excess salt.

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.

Ham and bean soup thickens primarily due to the breakdown of the beans as they cook, releasing starches into the broth, which helps to create a thicker consistency. Additionally, some recipes may call for mashing some of the beans or adding a roux (a mixture of fat and flour) to further thicken the soup.

"One of the best ways to compensate for over-salting is to add dairy. Add a swirl of yogurt, heavy cream, or even sour cream." Feel free to use whatever you have on hand. The dairy can be added to the entire pot, or directly to the bowl before serving.

It may sound a bit strange and unusual for some, but vinegar is a common ingredient in some soup recipes, and there is a good reason for it. If you think about it, vinegar is really a flavor-enhancer (umami). That's why it is so often used in cooking, sauces, and salad dressings.

The best way to counteract vinegar if too much is put into soup is to add a sweetener, such as sugar or honey, to balance out the flavor. You can also add dairy, such as cream, milk, or yogurt, or a starch, such as potatoes, rice, or pasta, to help mellow out the acidity of the vinegar.

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.

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.

The most obvious being a slurry — or a combination of the broth and flour (or starch). Other options for thickening a soup include blending some of the cooked soup vegetables and adding them back in; throwing in some bread; or adding in a beurre manié — aka the “reverse roux” — made from flour mixed with butter.

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.

If you find yours is too runny, you have several options for making it thicker. Try adding breadcrumbs, cream or pureed vegetables to make a heartier ham and beans. If you don't have any extra ingredients, you can add a vegetable-based starch. Cornstarch will thicken your meal without changing its flavor.

Fresh herbs like parsley, basil, or thyme can help to mask the saltiness of soup, too. Add a small amount of fresh herbs to the soup and stir until well combined. Acidic ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar, or tomatoes can also help to reduce the saltiness of soup.

Like in the myth, a potato will absorb salt until the salt level inside the starchy tuber matches the salt level in the soup. Remove the potato, and you remove some of the salt. If you want to remove half the salt, you'd need to drop in potatoes equal in volume to the entire batch of stew!

Add either raw or fried onion and it will soak the excess amount of salt.

Acids such as vinegar make hemicelluloses more stable and less soluble, which might slow down the softening of beans. So to make sure your red beans are at their creamiest, add the vinegar later in the cooking process, or just use it to season them at the table.

#3 - Soak and rinse beans

An added tbsp of vinegar in the water can also help, as can changing the water a few times [6]. Using hot water can speed the process too. Soaking can reduce the amount of oligosaccharides in them. Cook the soaked beans in fresh water (not the water they have been soaked in!)

Cider vinegar added at the end balances the flavor profile. It's important not to add vinegar until the end so as to maintain the mixture's pH balance throughout the cooking process.

Next, add in a bit of salt and pepper to season the broth (you can add more later to taste). Then add apple cider vinegar, which is added primarily because the acidity breaks down the collagen and makes it more abundant in the broth.