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Tuscan White Bean Soup
Serves 6
Easy
Total time:
Overnight to soak the beans.
Filled with flavor, this satisfying soup is a mainstay of Italian country cooking.
Skip to ingredients
- 500g dried white beans
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 3 medium leeks, white and tender green parts, washed well and chopped
- 5 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled or scrubbed and diced small
- 1200ml good-quality vegetable stock
- 1.5 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped, or 1 tsp dried
- Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- Juice of half a lemon
- 30g grated Parmagiano-Reggiano or Asiago cheese (optional)
Method
step 1
Soak beans in plenty of water overnight, then drain and rinse well.step 2
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot and add leeks. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until leeks begin to soften.step 3
Add celery, garlic, and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add stock, rinsed beans, herbs, salt, and pepper. Bring soup to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and allow to simmer over low heat for 1 - 2 hours until the beans are cooked.step 4
If you prefer your soup more creamy, puree a third of the soup in a blender and pour back into the pot. Taste and add the lemon juice, and more salt and pepper if needed.step 5
Ladle soup into individual bowls. Top each portion with some of the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with cheese, if desired.step 6
Serve with a huge hunk of crusty wholegrain bread and glass of red wine!
