About the Recipe
This is one of my favorites. One fine day, I decided to try an experiment with my chicken soup, which I had been proudly making for years. I used stock that I made from the bones of store-bought rotisserie chicken. The soup was always a hit with family and friends, as far a chicken soup goes. My desire to experiment took it all one step further. Something great can only come from something that is already good.
I started by adding navy beans early in the cooking process and then adding lemon juice and fresh dill in the latter parts of the process.
The beans gave the soup a wonderful heartiness while the lemon and dill elevated it into something delightfully new. Now, it's a great bean soup and I can't wait for you to try it. I hope you love it as much as I do.
Ingredients
4.5 liters of chicken stock
1 cup of dry navy beans
2 sticks of celery (about 190 grams), diced into small pieces
1 medium sized carrot (about 125 grams), diced into small pieces
2 medium sized onions (about 225 grams), diced into small pieces
4 branches of fresh dill (7-8 grams with stems removed), finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic (about 12-17 grams), finely chopped
â…“ of a cup + 1 tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice
50-100 grams of diced, cooked chicken
170 grams of diced ham
3 tablespoons of liquid chicken bouillon concentrate
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper
¼ to ½ teaspoon of salt (to taste)
Preparation
Given the quantity of chicken stock required for this soup, you may want to make your own.
Rinse 1 cup of navy beans in cold water. Check for and remove rocks unsightly beans.
Although it is rare, sometimes there are little stones mixed in with the beans.
Pour 4.5 liters of chicken stock into a large soup or sauce pot.
Add all the ingredients on the list except for the dill, lemon juice and salt.
Allow the soup to lightly boil for 100-110 minutes, or until the beans are fully cooked.
Make sure you continue to stir the soup periodically.
Once the beans are fully cooked, add:
4 branches of fresh dill (7-8 grams with stems removed), finely chopped
â…“ of a cup + 1 tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice
¼ to ½ a teaspoon of salt (to taste)
Cook for 4 more minutes and then serve with a lemon wedge or slice.
Tweak
Adjust the flavor to your liking with the addition of either more chicken bouillon concentrate, salt , lemon juice or dill.