White Bean Soup

This is a soup with simple ingredients. It makes for wonderful comfort food. On a cold winter evening, we enjoy this soup with some good bread or bagels.

Ingredients

1	lb.	Dried Beans, Great Northern
2	tbsp	Classic Olive Oil
1	cup	CeleryDiced about one quarter inch
1	cup	Yellow OnionDiced about one quarter inch
1	cup	CarrotsDiced about one quarter inch
2	cloves	Bouillon CubesEnough for 4 cups of water. Knorr cubes, which I use, flavor 2 cups of boiling water.
3	tbsp	Cornstarch
¼	cup	Water
¼	tsp	White PepperOptional

Directions

1	First, soak the beans: Rinse the beans in cold water and drain them. Then either leave the beans overnight soaking with water coverning them about two inches above the surface of the beans. Or, for a hurry-up version, put the beans and same amount water in a sauce pan. Bring these to a boil. Let the beans simmer two minutes. Remove the pot from the burner and cover the sauce pan. Let the beans soak for one hour.
2	In a large pot (I use our pasta pot), over medium-high heat, let the oil heat just until it begins to become fragrant. Add the vegetables and saute until the onions are translucent, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Drain the beans and add them to the pot.
3	Add water to fill the pot about two thirds full, perhaps six to eight cups.
4	Add the bouillion cubes.
5	Let this mixture simmer, with cover askew, for about one and a half hours or until the beans are quite tender. During this time, a good bit of the water should have evaporated.
6	Mix together the one quarter cup of water and the cornstarch until smooth. Add this mixture to the soup as it continues to simmer. Stir this together, and the soup will thicken some. Let this simmer at least two minutes to eliminate the uncooked cornstarch flavor.
7	If desired, add the white pepper, to taste. You may also want to add some salt.
8	The soup is now ready. Other additions to this soup are turnip or parsnip with the diced vegetables. Sometimes I add one cup or so of shredded cabbage for the last half hour or so. Feel free to use your imagination for other additions. This soup keeps very well, with even improved flavor as a leftover.