Tuscan Bean Soup
Delicious and hearty bean soup inspired by Eric Ripert, from the book,
Avec Eric. This soup is topped with crunchy sourdough croutons,
the best croutons I've ever made. Yum.
Recipe and more over at The Alchemist
Tuscan Bean Soup
serves 4
inspired by Eric Ripert's recipe in Avec Eric
Ingredients
3/4 cup (145 g. or 5 oz. raw) dried white beans such as cannellini, white kidney beans or great northern beans or you can also use one 15 oz. can of canned beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tablespoon fine sea salt
1 cup (8 oz.) diced ham
4-6 cups homemade chicken broth- if using purchased broth, make sure it's low in salt, in a carton preferably
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
a small bunch of kale, sliced crosswise into one inch ribbons
3 plum tomatoes-seeded, cored and roughly chopped
2 thyme sprigs
3 Tablespoons chopped parsley- Italian preferably, (but I used curly because that's what looked best from my garden)
1 piece of Parmesan cheese rind, approx. 3 inches in size
salt and pepper to taste
For croutons
1/2 loaf crusty sourdough bread, cut into 1 inch pieces
olive oil
Parmesan cheese
For Garnish
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
The night before making soup, soak the dried beans in a bowl covered in water (don't add salt) by 4 inches or so. (The beans will absorb some of the water.)
Drain the beans and place them in a medium pan covered in water. season the water with the 1 Tablespoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer on low till beans are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain off most of the cooking liquid, reserving about 2 cups of water with the beans.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat the olive oil to medium high heat and add the carrots, celery and onion and cook until lightly caramelized, about 6-8 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and ham and cook a few minutes more. Add the chicken broth (start with 4 cups, add more later if it needs it, mine did) beans with their 2 cups of liquid, tomatoes, kale, parsley and Parmesan cheese rind. Pull the leaves off the thyme sprigs and add them. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, 190 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 5.
While the soup is cooking, make the croutons. Place the diced bread in a bowl and generously drizzle with olive oil. Add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and toss. Place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes then use some tongs and toss them, then bake for another 5-15 minutes more, until they are golden brown and crispy.
Taste your soup. Add salt and pepper. Taste again. Add more broth if it needs it.
Place soup in bowl and top with some croutons and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.