I have been seeing a lot of white bean soup out there in the big virtual kitchen. Unfortunately, they have all been pureed. What about keeping those pump white beans together and creating a creamy soup? That is exactly what I did here.
One of my food goals for this year is to stop using canned products as much as possible. I am trying to cook up a batch of beans every other week and then tossing them into the freezer. Don’t be scared, you too can do this. It is simple. I soak the bean of choice overnight and then cook them the next day. I don’t add anything except a clove of garlic and some fresh herbs and water, of course. After I am finished cooking them, I drain them, put into containers and then into the freezer. We have fresh beans, which taste a lot better than canned, for at least a couple weeks. The texture and the taste is really outstanding and it is completely worth the time. This week the bean is the white bean!
Recipe: White Bean Soup
30 ounces of white beans or two cans of white beans
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, scrubbed and sliced into chunks
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups of veggie stock
fresh thyme, handful, gently crushed
kale, washed, dried and thinly sliced
kosher salt, to taste
good olive oil, to drizzle
Heat olive oil in a large stock pot. Add onion and carrots, cook for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add the beans, the stock and the fresh thyme. Cook for about 1 – 2 hours, depending on how crunchy you like the beans. I feel that the longer, the better as the flavor really develops. I cooked for 1 1/2 hours. During the last 15 minutes, gently smash with the back of a spoon or a masher. Don’t puree, you want texture. Right before serving, stir in the kale and gently warm for about 5 minutes. Season. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top. Serve. Eat.
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