Cuban White Bean Soup

Written by
Hector Rodriguez
A Puerto Rico native and former food service professional, Hector Rodriguez develops recipes inspired by the Caribbean and Latin America.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Hector Rodriguez
Updated 02/05/21
Cuban White Bean Soup

The Spruce / Ali Redmond
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Soak: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
612 Calories
34g Fat
58g Carbs
21g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 612
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g 43%
Saturated Fat 10g 51%
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 935mg 41%
Total Carbohydrate 58g 21%
Dietary Fiber 16g 56%
Protein 21g
Calcium 195mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Here is an easy yet hearty recipe for white bean soup that melds the flavors of navy beans, pork, onions, garlic, and seasonings.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried white beans (soaked overnight)
  • 2 1/2 quarts of water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 ounces salt pork
  • 2 ham hocks
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 medium white onion (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Cuban White Bean Soup ingredients

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  2. Drain and rinsed the white beans that have been soaking overnight. 

    Drained and rinsed white beans

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  3. Place the beans, water, bay leaves, salt pork, and ham hocks in a soup pot and bring to a boil over medium heat.

    Place the beans, water, bay leaves, salt pork, and ham hocks in a soup pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  4. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

    white bean soup cooking in a pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  5. Remove the salt pork and discard.

    Remove the salt pork from soup pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  6. Remove the ham hocks and shred the meat from the bones.

    Remove the ham hocks and shred the meat from the bones

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  7. Put the shredded meat back into the soup pot.

    Put the shredded meat back into the soup pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  8. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sautee the onions and garlic until soft and translucent.

    Sautee the onions and garlic

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  9. Add onions to the soup pot, along with the cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper to the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes.

    Cuban White Bean Soup in a pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

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