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Ingredients
THE SOUP
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced small
2 ribs celery, diced small
2 ¼ cups dried white beans, soaked overnight and drained
3 to 4 quarts chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
4 ½ cups water
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
¾ pound small pasta, like orecchiette or elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
THE SALAD
2 cups stemmed arugula, cut across into ¼-inch-wide strips
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
THE CROUTONS
18 ¼-inch-thick slices French baguette, about 1 inch in diameter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
THE FINISHING TOUCHES
2 red and 2 yellow bell peppers, roasted, peeled, cored and cut into thin strips
¾ cup pine nuts, toasted
¾ cup oil-cured black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
Basil-flavored olive oil (available at specialty food stores)
Preparation
- Step 1
To make the soup, heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot and celery and saute over medium heat until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, 1 quart of broth and the water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the beans are soft, about 1 ½ hours. Add 2 quarts of broth and season with the salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Reheat before serving, adding more broth, if needed. Stir in the parsley and additional salt, if needed.
- Step 2
To make the condiments, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss together the arugula, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, vinegar and salt. Set aside.
- Step 3
Brush the bread rounds with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan, place on a baking sheet and bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Pile on a plate. Place the arugula salad, peppers, pine nuts and olives in separate bowls.
- Step 4
Ladle the soup into 6 bowls. Serve, passing the condiments, including the basil oil, separately.
Private Notes
Comments
I added lots of garlic. Also I took a can of navy beans and smashed them up to add as a thickener. The soup was so rich and creamy tasting.
i added spicy italian sausage.. so good
Some red pepper flakes and a couple of smashed anchovies add some extra dimension to this delicious stew. Cooking the beans in broth creates a soup base that already includes the bean broth for extra yummy. I’ll be making this again and again.
Cannellini beans soaked 9 hrs, but are still firm; what consistency of firmness is recommended in beginning of recipe when I start to cook for 1.5 hrs. Concerned they are too firm now… turning to mush later. (am obviously not an experienced cook, so thanks for any suggestions.)
I found that 1.5 hours to simmer the beans was too long by 30 minutes. They were mush and then I still had to cook the pasta.
@Robert It says “about” 1 1/2 hours. With an instruction such as that, I would start checking about an hour into cooking.
If I will have leftovers, should I cook the pasta separately?
@KP I always keep pasta separate so it doesn’t turn to mush