Chef Johns Tuscan Bean Soup Food

CHEF JOHN'S TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add butter; allow butter to melt. Add onion, celery, and carrot and cook and stir until onion begins to turn translucent and golden, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 1 more minute. Add beans and broth. Season with salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Set heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Place bread cubes in a saute pan. Drizzle with olive oil; season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toast bread cubes over medium heat until golden brown and crunchy, tossing occasionally, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle grated cheese over the bread cubes and continue to brown cubes about 2 more minutes.
• Puree soup with an immersion blender until it is very smooth. Whisk in creme fraiche. Stir in lemon juice. Serve topped with browned bread cubes and chopped parsley.

TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the capicola, red onion and minced garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots and celery. Cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes, 2 cups water, the parmesan rind, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the parmesan rind.
• Meanwhile, lightly toast the bread; rub both sides with the whole garlic clove and sprinkle with grated parmesan. Stir the escarole into the soup and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Top each serving of soup with a piece of toast. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.

CHEF JON'S SPLIT PEA AND HAM BONE SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse peas well in cold water and add to a large cooking pot.
• Measure 12 cups of water and add to cooking pot.
• Bring to boil, remove from heat, cover and let sit for 1 hour.
• Return to stove and bring back to boil.
• Add ham bone, carrots, onions, celery, bay leafs, beef base, Goya ham and Goya Sazon seasoning, salt, peppercorns and dried thyme.
• Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Remove ham bone and cut off any remaining ham, cut into bite size pieces.
• Use an immersion blender to puree the soup.
• Add ham back to soup.
• Discard ham bone.
• If there are big pieces of ham in the soup, remove, cut into bite size pieces and return to soup.
• Remove bay leaf and discard.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• If soup is too thick, add more water to your desired consistency.

CHEF JOHN'S TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add butter; allow butter to melt. Add onion, celery, and carrot, and cook and stir until onion begins to turn translucent and golden, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 1 more minute. Add beans and broth. Season with salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Set heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Place bread cubes in a saute pan. Drizzle with olive oil; season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toast bread cubes over medium heat until golden brown and crunchy, tossing occasionally, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle grated cheese over the bread cubes and continue to brown cubes about 2 more minutes.
• Puree soup with an immersion blender until it is very smooth. Whisk in creme fraiche. Stir in lemon juice. Serve topped with browned bread cubes and chopped parsley.