Pressure Cooker White Bean-Parmesan Soup

By Sarah DiGregorio

Pressure Cooker White Bean-Parmesan Soup
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
2 hours
Rating
4(1,453)
Comments
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A pressure cooker renders dried beans buttery soft in a fraction of the time the stovetop would take. For this recipe, seek out whole wheat berries — not hulled or pearled — because they stand up to the long cook time, developing a pleasant chewiness while maintaining their shape. You can substitute whole farro or spelt, but make sure the farro is not pearled. The key to this soup’s flavor is the Parmesan rind, which infuses the soup with an earthy saltiness. Finally, don’t forget the finishing touches of lemon and parsley: They add brightness and bring other deeper flavors into sharper focus.

You can also make this recipe in a slow cooker. Find that recipe here.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • ¼cup olive oil
  • 1large onion, finely chopped
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1fennel bulb, cored and finely chopped, fronds roughly chopped and reserved
  • 3celery stalks, sliced ½-inch thick
  • 6garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 2sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
  • ½cup dry white wine
  • 7 to 8cups chicken stock or broth
  • 1pound dried cannellini beans (see Tip)
  • 1cup wheat berries
  • 8ounces Parmesan, rind removed and reserved
  • 1small bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems discarded and leaves chopped
  • 3tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

554 calories; 18 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 66 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 33 grams protein; 1005 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Using the sauté setting, heat the oil in the pot of a 6- to 8-quart pressure cooker. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Season generously with salt. Add the fennel and cook, stirring often, until the fennel is softened and the onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the celery, garlic, fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the rosemary and the wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half, about 2 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the stock, using 7 cups if you have a 6-quart pressure cooker or 8 cups if you have an 8-quart pressure cooker. Season with ½ teaspoon salt. Stir in the beans, wheat berries and Parmesan rind. Cover and set steam valve to sealed position. Pressure cook on high for 70 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes then release the remaining pressure manually. Taste the beans to make sure they are soft. If they are not as soft as you would like, cover and set steam valve to sealed position. Pressure cook on high for 10 more minutes and then quick-release the pressure.

  4. Step 4

    Before serving, remove and discard the rosemary sprigs. Stir in the chopped parsley, lemon juice and reserved fennel fronds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls and top generously with grated Parmesan.

Tip
  • You can use soaked or unsoaked beans for this soup, but if you use unsoaked, taste a few before serving to make sure they are tender. If they aren’t, pressure cook for another 10 minutes.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,453 user ratings
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Comments

Sarsaparilla

Amazing dish. This is one of our favorite staples, but it does NOT need to cook for 70 minutes! 15 minutes in a pressure cooker is plenty for pre-soaked beans, and 20 minutes if unsoaked. Beans will only just be starting to break up and fall apart, and wheat berries will have a nice chewiness.

Phillycook

I decided to give this a try on a whim today. I left out the fennel & wine because I didn't have any, used whole farro instead of wheat berries, and added a few bay leaves and teaspoon of whole peppercorns because it seemed like the right thing to do. The one thing I totally screwed up - I misread the parm instructions and added it all in giant chunks at the beginning, not just the rind, but it melted right into the broth and it soaked into the beans & farro it is DELICIOUS.

Olivia

So I don't have a pressure cooker or slow cooker. What substitutions would I have to make to do this on the stove? Thanks!

Franke Knapen

Love this recipe. Second time around i had no fennel bulp. Used an extra celery stalk and carrots. I added some bay leaves too, plus for some va va voom some sambal oelek ( indonesian chili sauce). The parmazan rind is such an invention. Simply love this soup.

RIffi

Could I substitute flageolet beans for cannellini beans? thx.

Dave Wilson

Delicious. I did the basic recipe in an instant pot, subbing pearled barley for wheat berries. Worked well. Next time I fix this I'll back the cook time 10 minutes, because 70 min with over night soaked great northern beans left them very soft. Served with grilled cheese.

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