I Hate it When That Happens

If you read Tuesday’s blog post you know that Mediterranean White Bean Soup is my new favorite, and all day Monday I had been planning on making a pot when I got home from work. It takes close to an hour and a half to make so I wasn’t going to eat it for dinner that night, but would certainly be having it for lunch Tuesday and then there would be the spoonfuls while finishing to make sure there was enough salt, pepper, and vinegar, not to mention the lovely aroma of olive oil and rosemary floating through the apartment.

I had purchased enough navy beans on my last trip to Whole Foods to make a double batch of the soup, which of course requires adding more water to the soup (duh). Unfortunately though, I forgot that in my previous attempt at a double batch I had cut down on the water a bit (so it would fit in my Dutch oven better) and then partially covered the pot to prevent too much reduction. The consistency and flavor were perfect.

This time, for some inconceivable reason, other than a temporary loss of sanity, I used the full amount of water AND partially covered the pot. I didn’t realize my error until the beans were done and I had pureed several cups of the soup. It was a watery mess. The flavor was fine, but the consistency was totally off. I sank into despair. My only hope was that it would thicken as it cooled. I set some aside for lunch the next day, left the remainder in the pot, covered it, and put it in the refrigerator until I could come up with some way to redeem my error.

I ate the lunch portion dutifully the next day, and though thinner than I would like, it had thickened up a bit and tasted great. As I contemplated the soup before me an idea hit me: add brown basmati to the soup to take up some room in the “extra” broth. It was the perfect solution; it bulked up the soup and added more whole grain to my meal. I made a few cups of the rice that night, added some to the soup, froze the rest, and then cleaned up my kitchen feeling proud of myself. I had turned a culinary disappointment into a victory.