Boston Baked Bean Soup

And just like that, the summer is over. Saturday was so rainy and chilly that I wanted something warming and comfortable. This soup is my reinvention of the classic New England dish Boston baked beans. Using canned beans – rinsed and drained to remove excess sodium – means the soup doesn’t need hours to cook like the original baked dish does. If you have the time, by all means use dried beans (soak them overnight then simmer the soup for a couple of hours) but the canned are certainly good enough for a great chilly New England autumn meal.

Boston Baked Bean Soup (6 servings)

• 4 strips bacon, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• ½ tsp. dry mustard
• ¼ tsp. paprika
• ¼ cup molasses
• 3 15-oz. cans of navy beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups chicken stock

1. Sauté the bacon in a soup pot for 4-5 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until softened cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar, mustard, paprika, and molasses and cook for 1 minute more.
2. Mash the beans from one can with a fork or potato masher. Add all the beans and the stock to the soup pot. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 45-60 minutes.