Recipe: Tuscan Bean Soup with Crostini


• By
• Caren McSherry

Image by Flickr/Muy Yum
This homemade white bean soup tastes a lot like Tuscany

This easy-to-make Tuscan bean soup uses everyday veggies to deliver hearty Italian flavours. Substitute vegetable stock for a vegetarian version

Ingredients

• 1 lb. white navy beans

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced

• 2 stalks celery, diced

• 2 medium-sized leeks (white part only), diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 6 large Roma tomatoes

• 8 cups rich chicken stock

• 2 sprigs thyme

• 1 tsp. sea salt

• 2 tsp. freshly ground pepper


Crostini:


• 1/2 thin loaf French bread, thinly sliced, toasted

• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

• 1/2 bunch parsley, minced



Instructions

1. Place beans in a large pot, cover with plenty of cold water and bring to a boil.
2. Drain beans as soon as they come to a boil.
3. Cover them again with fresh cold water and bring to a boil again.
4. As soon as they reach the boiling point, drain again.
5. Repeat with fresh cold water, bringing to a boil for the third time.
6. Cover and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes or until beans are cooked through. Drain.
7. Transfer 2 cups of the cooked beans to a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process into a purée.
8. Set whole beans and purée aside.
9. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a soup pot.
10. Add onion, carrot, celery and leek. Cover and sweat the vegetables for about 10 minutes or until soft.
11. Add garlic, reserved beans, reserved purée, tomatoes, stock, thyme, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes.
12. Taste and adjust seasonings.
13. Meanwhile, spoon 1 Tbsp. sun-dried tomato onto each bread slice.
14. Ladle soup into wide individual soup bowls.
15. Float the crostini on top and garnish with a sprinkling of parsley.

Serves 8-10.

Recipe courtesy Caren McSherry from the Gourmet Warehouse


Originally published in TV Week. For daily updates, subscribe to the free TV Week e-newsletter, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.