Judys White Bean Soup With Chilli Oil Food

JUDY'S WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH CHILLI OIL

Steps:

• Put all the butter beans in a large bowl and cover with plenty of cold water so they have room to swell up. Leave to soak overnight.
• Drain the beans. Shuck off and discard the skins by pinching the beans between finger and thumb - it's a laborious job, but worth it. Put the beans in a colander, rinse and shake off the excess water.
• Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes. Tip in the carrots and celery and fry gently for 2-3 minutes. Add the beans, stock, bay and thyme with some pepper, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, skimming off any scum, until the beans are soft. Cool for 10 minutes, discard the bay and thyme, then whizz the soup in a food processor until smooth. (You will probably have to do this in batches.)
• Return the soup to the rinsed pan and bring to the boil. Check for seasoning, then serve with a drizzle of chilli oil and a sprinkling of thyme leaves.

CREAMY WHITE BEAN AND GREEN CHILE SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat until bubbling and frothy. Whisk in flour until it forms a smooth, golden paste, about 45 seconds. Pour in milk slowly, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir white beans into the saucepan. Add green chile peppers, onion powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

WHITE BEAN AND CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large cast-iron casserole, heat the oil until shimmering. Add half of the chicken at a time and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned all over, about 8 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate.
• Add the onion to the casserole and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook until fragrant. Add the flour, chile powder, cumin, oregano and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant.
• Add the stock, navy beans and chicken and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the chicken is very tender, 30 minutes.
• Uncover and simmer the soup over moderate heat until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper and serve with any of the extras that you like.

CHILI BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until heated through.