There is nothing new about bean soup with pancetta and greens. It’s bean soup with pork thrown in. What is new is what my taste buds are shouting at me: bean with bacon soup is just too salty! Pancetta is pork belly that is cured and not smoked like bacon and seems like a lower-sodium option to bring the umami of pork into the soup. But I needed to verify it, not wanting to take my taste-buds’ word for it.
I searched for information on sodium content in bacon versus pancetta and found nothing in the food and nutrition blogs, so I checked the Boar’s Head website’s nutritional information and found out that, indeed, bacon is saltier. That’s when I converted to using pancetta in my bean soup. Admittedly, the name bean soup with pancetta and greens doesn’t roll off the tongue as easily, but on the tongue it is a delicious soup with noticeably less sodium, less fat and less cholesterol than bean with bacon soup.
As the price of meat continues to rise, the mighty bean can be prepared to great satisfaction as in this bean soup with pancetta and greens. A bias toward beans helps you better manage your food budget while providing your family with the nutrition they need. For example, according to Bush’s Beans, there are 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber and 270 mg of potassium in every 1/2 cup serving of cannellini beans. Getting in the habit of replacing meat with beans also saves space in my tiny kitchen because I use fewer pots and pans. Bean soup with pancetta and greens is not only nutritious but it’s hearty and it makes a satisfying meal along with a crusty loaf of bread.
This soup can begin the night before by soaking your beans covered in water 2 inches above the beans and adding a 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Soaking in salt water? Exactly what we learned NOT to do, is exactly what we should do a little of, that is, sprinkle in a tiny bit of salt. It’s all about the food chemistry; here’s why…
The excerpt below is from Emma Christensen’s blog, The Kitchn, which I recommend, and here she presents a fine argument for a bit of salt early on in bean cooking:
“Far from causing beans to stay tough, the editors at Cook’s Illustrated explain in their recent book ‘The Science of Good Cooking’ that a combination of brining and salting are key to helping beans cook more quickly and more evenly. First, they suggest brining the beans overnight by adding a salt to their soaking water. Then add a little salt (emphasis on ‘little’) to the beans at the very beginning of cooking to keep things going.
This two-punch combo of salt action works to break apart the calcium and magnesium ions in the outer skin — the ions responsible for tough skins. This makes the skin softer and more permeable, allowing water to penetrate more easily into the bean itself. This in turn speeds up cooking times and helps cook the beans evenly. I double checked this theory in On Food and Cooking by food scientist Harold McGee, and found that he had the same recommendation for cooking beans from scratch.”
So what we’ve found in this recipe for bean soup with pancetta and greens is the flavor depth we are looking for with less of the stuff that’s not so good for you. Enjoy!
Bean Soup with Pancetta and Greens
Serves 4
Bean Soak & Brine
- 1 cup dried cannellini beans (if you are using canned beans, you will need 3 cups cooked/canned beans and you will rinse the beans – no soaking required)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Soak one cup of dry cannellini beans overnight in cold water that covers two inches above the beans. Add 1/2 tsp of salt and a pinch of baking soda (optional) to the bean water and stir. In the morning, drain and rinse the beans and set aside.
Flavoring Mixture
- 3 ounces pancetta, chopped
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 1 large celery stalk, chopped
- 1 large carrot, cut in 1/4 inch cubes
- a sprig of fresh thyme
- a pinch of sage and
- a bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Saute pancetta in a large pan (if using bacon, be sure to parboil it for several minutes before sauteeing) until almost brown then drain fmost of the fat from the pan then pour in 3 Tbsp olive oil to same pan and add the shallots, celery, carrot, thyme, sage, bay leaf and salt and saute for another 10 minutes.
Slow Cook
Pour pancetta mixture into a slow cooker. Add the soaked and rinsed beans and
- most of a 32 ounce box of chicken stock, depending on how thick you like your soup and
- 1 cup water
Cover and cook for 4 hours. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, remove bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and add a large handful of greens such as lettuce cut in chiffonade, baby spinach, chard or beet greens, cut as you like.
Garnish with feta cheese crumbles (optional) and serve very hot with sourdough bread and butter.
This looks so good I’m going to have to try making it!
It’s mighty tasty, and I think you’d enjoy it, Camille.