Description
A flavorful and filling Simple Bean Soup made with cannellini beans, aromatic herbs, and a rich tomato base, thickened with pureed soup and enhanced by a vibrant Picada topping. Perfect for a comforting vegetarian meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Bean Soup:
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 large brown onion (or 2 small), finely chopped (~180g/6oz)
- 1/4 tsp fresh thyme, chopped (or 1/8 tsp dried)
- 1/4 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1/8 tsp dried)
- 1 fresh bay leaf (or 1/2 dried)
- 1/3 cup tomato passata
- 4 x 400g/14oz cans cannellini beans, drained
- 3 cups vegetable stock, preferably homemade or low sodium
Picada:
- 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 cooking/kosher salt (or 1/4 tsp table salt)
Instructions
- Sauté onion and herbs: Heat olive oil in a large heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add minced garlic, chopped onion, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring regularly, for 8 minutes until the onions are deep golden brown and sweet.
- Cook tomato passata: Add the tomato passata to the pot and cook over low heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomato changes from red and watery to dark brown and very thick, building a key depth of flavor.
- Simmer the soup: Stir in the drained cannellini beans and the vegetable stock. Adjust the heat to maintain a very gentle bubble and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to meld flavors.
- Blend part of the soup: Transfer about 2/3 cup (150ml) of soup into a blender-safe container and blend until smooth. Stir this puree back into the main pot to thicken the broth.
- Stir in Picada: Just before serving, add 2 tablespoons of the prepared Picada to the soup, stirring well. Taste and adjust salt as needed due to canned beans' variable salt content.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and top each with a teaspoon of the remaining Picada. Serve immediately with crusty bread such as artisan or French brioche for a satisfying meal.
- Prepare Picada: Toast hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant. Transfer to a towel and rub to remove most of the skins. Roughly chop and place hazelnuts in a container with parsley, garlic, olive oil, and salt. Blend until the mixture resembles a pesto, being careful not to overblend.
Notes
- Passata is smooth, strained tomato puree available in supermarkets; it’s thicker and less chunky than canned tomatoes.
- Any white beans like navy, lima, or butter beans can be used; colored beans may change the soup’s appearance.
- For dried beans, soak 2.5 cups in water for 5 to 24 hours, then boil and simmer until tender before adding to the soup.
- Use homemade vegetable stock for best flavor, but low sodium store-bought stock is a good alternative.
- Adjust salt carefully; canned beans often contain salt, so add little at first and season to taste.
- The recipe is vegetarian, originally including clams for a seafood version.
- Cooked soup keeps up to 4 days; Picada mixed in loses its bright color but remains tasty. Separate Picada topping lasts 2 days due to raw garlic.
- Serve with crusty bread like artisan bread or French brioche for a hearty meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 300 ml)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
