Cranberry Bean Soup | Pamela Salzman

Let me get right to it — this soup is made with “Cranberry Beans,” not cranberries and beans. ย This came up a lot when I taught this soup last fall in my cooking classes. ย The lovely and tasty cranberry bean is also known as a “Borlotti bean,” and might be my favorite bean ever, which says a lot since I am legume crazy! ย All beans are not created equally, amongst varieties and brands. ย Cranberry, aka Borlotti, beans are rich and flavorful with a soft and creamy interior. ย They make the best soups.

Cranberry Bean Soup | Pamela Salzman

Rancho Gordo is probably my favorite source for dried beans. ย They have the freshest product and the most interesting varieties. ย I buy them at Grow, a local store in Manhattan Beach, but they can also be ordered online directly from Rancho Gordo. ย That said, you can substitute pinto beans in this recipe and you will still love this soup.

Cranberry Bean Soup | Pamela Salzman

I could eat this soup all the time. ย It is so delicious, hearty and satisfying. ย I usually use some sort of stock in my soups, but these beans have so much flavor, I used water and everyone thought there was stock or pork in the soup. ย Nope! ย Plus, I did add my favorite secret Italian soup ingredient, a piece of Parmesan rind, which always adds a huge flavor boost. ย If you don’t have a piece of Parmesan on hand, you can checkย the cheese counter at your local market. ย My Whole Foods sells the rinds. ย I’ll buy a container of them and keep them in the freezer.

Cranberry Bean Soup | Pamela Salzman

Otherwise, this is a very simple soup with great results. ย I usually make this for lunch on the weekends or a Meatless Monday meal since there’s tons of protein from the beans. ย The soup is always enough for me, but if my husband wants a little more, I’ll make a side salad or some avocado toast. ย Since my daughters are both in college now (sniff, sniff), I am finding that one recipe of soup is too much for the three of us. ย So whatever is left can be frozen easily.

Cranberry Bean Soup | Pamela Salzman

It has been crazy warm in LA up until recently, so I was waiting for that first cool evening to share this soup recipe. ย Voila! ย I also think this would be the perfect pre-trick-or-treating meal (BTW, that would be a week from Monday!) ย I always like to fill up those bellies so that as little candy as possible can fit in there. ย Hope you have a cozy week!

4.86 from 7 votes

Cranberry Bean Soup Recipe

By Pamela
Servings: 6 -8

Ingredients 

  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 1 18 ounce jar diced tomatoes with juice, I like Jovial
  • 1 pound dried cranberry beans, aka Borlotti beans, soaked at least 6 hours or overnight and drained (I prefer Rancho Gordo), or use pinto beans
  • Large piece of rind from a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, if you have it
  • 8 cups of water, or homemade chicken or vegetable stock
  • 3 cups baby spinach leaves or chopped Swiss chard leaves
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt or more if using unsalted stock or water
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Sliced basil leaves or pesto for garnish, optional
  • Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino-Romano cheese, optional

Instructions 

  • Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large pot and add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook until vegetables have softened and the onions are tender and translucent, about 8 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes with the juice and cook for 5 more minutes, until the tomatoes are fragrant.
  • Add the drained beans, Parmesan rind and water or stock (do NOT add salt here) and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered for 1 hour, or until the beans are tender. Softening the beans can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, depending on the age of the beans.
  • Once the beans are softened, add the spinach and stir until wilted.
  • Add the salt and pepper and taste for seasoning. Top with sliced basil leaves or pesto and grated cheese (if desired).

Notes

This soup is excellent with a little turkey bacon or pancetta. In Step 1 before adding onion, sautรฉ diced meat until browned and then add onion, etc.
To make this truly vegan, omit the parmesan rind.
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30 Comments

  1. JOAN says:

    I tried this recipe yesterday. It’s very good. The beans are so nice and creamy. I soaked the beans for about 8 hours, but even so it took about 3 hours of cooking for them to soften up. I think the parmesan rind is probably essential to the excellent taste of the beans.

    1. Pamela says:

      one of my favorite soups! sometimes if dried beans are old, they take a little longer

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    5 stars
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  3. Kerry says:

    4 stars
    I soaked the beans overnight and then cooked for two hours and the beans are still a bit chewy. Any suggestions?

    1. Pamela says:

      My only thought is that the beans were old….I am assuming you did not add salt while the beans were cooking because that can make them a little tough on the outside and soften more slowly.

  4. Mary says:

    5 stars
    Wonderful recipe! I use vegetable broth (Better than Bouillon) and Muir Glen Fire Roasted tomatoes and typically make 1.5 times the recipe so there’s plenty for leftovers. Thank you!

    1. Pamela says:

      Wonderful idea! Thank you for sharing, Mary.