Description
A flavorful and hearty Spanish-inspired simple bean soup made with cannellini beans, fresh herbs, and a nutty picada garnish. This vegetarian soup features caramelized onions and slow-cooked tomato passata that develops deep flavors, finished with a blended portion of the soup to create a creamy texture. Ideal as a comforting main course served with crusty bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Bean Soup:
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 large brown onion (about 180g/6oz), finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp fresh thyme, chopped (or 1/8 tsp dried thyme)
- 1/4 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1/8 tsp dried rosemary)
- 1 fresh bay leaf (or 1/2 dried bay leaf)
- 1/3 cup tomato passata
- 4 x 400g cans cannellini beans, drained
- 3 cups vegetable stock, preferably homemade or low sodium store-bought
Picada (makes 4 tbsp):
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 medium garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup whole hazelnuts, skin on (or almonds)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt (or 1/4 tsp table salt)
Instructions
- Saute onion and herbs: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add minced garlic, chopped onion, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Cook while stirring regularly for 8 minutes, until the onions turn deep golden brown and sweet.
- Cook tomato passata: Add 1/3 cup tomato passata to the pot and reduce heat to low. Cook for 8 minutes until the tomato changes from watery red to dark brown and very thick, which is key to developing rich flavor.
- Simmer: Stir in the drained cannellini beans followed by 3 cups vegetable stock. Adjust heat to maintain a very gentle bubble and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Blitz: Transfer about 2/3 cup (150ml) of the soup to a jug or container suitable for a stick blender. Blend until smooth and stir the pureed soup back into the pot to thicken the broth.
- Stir in Picada: Just before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons of the prepared picada. Taste and adjust salt as needed, keeping in mind canned beans may already contain salt.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with 1 teaspoon of the remaining picada. Serve immediately, ideally with crusty bread such as easy artisan, no yeast bread, or French brioche.
- Prepare Picada: Preheat a small skillet over medium heat. Add whole hazelnuts and toast, shaking skillet often, until golden and nutty smelling. Transfer hazelnuts to a clean tea towel, bundle and rub vigorously to remove most of the skins. Roughly chop nuts and place in a blender jug with parsley, garlic, olive oil, and salt. Blitz briefly until consistency resembles pesto but still has some texture. Use as directed.
Notes
- Passata is strained pureed tomatoes that is smooth and thick, different from chunky canned tomatoes. It’s widely available in supermarkets.
- Any white beans like navy, lima, or butter beans can substitute for cannellini. Colored beans can be used but will affect the soup's color.
- Dried beans can be used instead of canned. Soak 2 1/2 cups dried beans for 5 to 24 hours, then boil and simmer until tender (about 25 minutes for fresh dried cannellini). Drain and proceed.
- Salt quantities vary because canned beans often contain salt. Adjust salt to taste especially when using dried beans.
- For a seafood variation, add soaked clams or mussels 5 minutes before the end of cooking.
- Store cooked soup up to 4 days; picada stirred in soup loses green color over time. Fresh picada used as topping should be consumed within 2 days due to raw garlic content.
- Serve with crusty bread such as artisan or French brioche to enhance the meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
