This Jacob’s Cattle Bean Soup recipe combines hearty beans with savory vegetables and bacon for a comforting dish. It starts by cooking pre-soaked Jacob’s Cattle beans in their soaking liquid, then adding sautéed onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and sage for deep flavor. Crisped bacon adds richness, and the soup is simmered until the beans are tender, with a thickened, flavorful broth. The recipe is adaptable, allowing you to adjust the ingredients to your taste, and it’s perfect for a warming, satisfying meal.
Jacob's Cattle Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. Jacob's Cattle Beans pre-soaked
- 1/2 lb. bacon cut into small bite sized pieces
- 1/2 to 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 to 1 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 to 1 cup chopped carrots
- 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 2 tsp. dried crumbled sage or 2 Tbsp. fresh, separated
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Adjust all amounts to your taste. You can add more or less of any of the ingredients and have an excellent soup.
- Transfer beans and their soaking liquid to a medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium—high heat. Add water to cover beans by 1 inch if necessary. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, partially covered, until beans just soften; about 15 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet, over medium heat, until crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Remove bacon and crumble.
- Reduce heat under skillet to low and add the onions, celery, carrot, garlic and 1 tsp./Tbsp. of sage. Add a little pepper. Saute, uncovered, over low heat, very slowly, for about 20 minutes. Do not brown vegetables.
- Add vegetables to the beans, with the bacon. Simmer, partially covered, until beans are tender and cooking liquid has thickened, about 45 minutes to an hour. During the final 5 minutes of cooking, add the remaining 1 tsp./Tbsp. of sage and adjust seasonings. Enjoy!
Notes
—Adapted by Amy Oak from Jacob's Cattle Beans with Pancetta and Sage, from Heirloom Beans, by Steve Sando and Vanessa Barrington.
