Lidias Cannellini Bean Soup Food

CANNELLINI BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Fry the shallots, garlic, carrot, celery, leeks and bacon in the oil for 7 minutes, until softened but not brown.
• Pour in the stock and add the bay leaves and oregano.
• Season and bring to the boil, cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
• Tip in the beans, re-cover and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
• Swirl the chopped parsley into the soup.
• Serve sprinkled with a little extra parsley.

LENTIL AND CANNELLINI BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in large pot.
• Add carrot, onion and garlic.
• Cook 3 minutes till soft.
• Add stock and tomatoes, bring to boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
• Add lentils and beans, cook further 10 minutes.
• Or keep simmering till desired thickness.
• Season to taste, serve with bacon or parmesan.

BEANS AND SAUSAGE WITH POLENTA (LIDIA BASTIANICH)

Steps:

• Rinse beans and soak them in plenty of cold water for 8 hours or overnight.
• Drain and place the beans in a 4-quart saucepan with fresh cold water, covering them by an inch or more, along with the 4 bay leaves and 2 tablespoons oil.
• Bring to a boil, partially cover the pot, and adjust the heat to maintain a bubbling simmer.
• When the beans are almost tender, but still slightly undercooked, after about 40 minutes, remove from the heat; drain through a colander.
• Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon salt and let cool; discard the bay leaves.
• Add 4 tablespoons olive oil into the wide saucepan, scatter the bacon pieces into it, and set over med-high heat.
• Cook, stirring, until the bacon starts rendering fat, then drop in the sausages; let them sizzle and begin to brown.
• Add the chopped onion and the two bay leaves, and stir them around the pan bottom; meanwhile, keep rolling over the sausages so they color on all sides.
• Cook for several minutes to allow the onion and meat to caramelize, then clear a space on the pan bottom and drop in the tomato paste.
• Stir it in the clear spot for a minute, until sizzling, then spread the paste all around the pan, stirring and tumbling the sausages so they are coated.
• Pour the red wine vinegar into a clear space in the pan, let it sizzle and evaporate for a few minutes, then stir and tumble everything again.
• Pour 1 cup of hot water into the saucepan, increase the heat, and deglaze the caramelization as the water bubbles.
• Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir well.
• Rinse the tomato containers with a second cup of water, and pour that in too.
• Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir everything together, and bring to a boil.
• Keep the tomato sauce bubbling gently for about 10 minutes, then spill the beans into the pan; stir in the beans while the sauce returns to a boil.
• Stir in the water, if needed, so the sauce is loose and nearly covers the sausages and beans.
• Cook at a gentle boil, stirring now and then, until the beans are tender and the sauce has nicely thickened, 10 minutes or more (add water if the beans need longer cooking; or, if the sauce seems too loose, reduce it quickly over high heat).
• Turn off the heat, and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
• Cover the pan to keep the beans warm until the polenta is ready to serve.
• Assemble individual portions in warm wide pasta bowls; first dip a large spoon in water, and with it scoop up polenta and mound it in each bowl.
• Spoon over a generous helping of beans in sauce, and lay a sausage on top.
• Drizzle with olive oil, grind on more black pepper, and serve immediately.

CHICKPEA AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Cold soak or quick soak the chickpeas and beans together in the same pot.
• Cold soak-dump beans into a 2-3 quart container; pour in enough water to cover by at least 4 inches; let soak in a cool place at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours; drain thoroughly.
• Quick soak-place beans in a large saucepan, covering them generously with cold water; bring to a boil; boil 1 minute before removing from heat; let stand uncovered 1 hour; then drain.
• Heat oil in a 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat.
• Stir in the onions and garlic; cook, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add in the potato and stir until the pieces begin to stick to the pot, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the carrots; cook until they wilt, about 2 minutes.
• Pour the crushed tomatoes with their liquid into the pot and bring to a boil.
• Pour in the hot water; add the rosemary, bay leaves, and crushed pepper flakes.
• Add salt to taste.
• Drain the chickpeas and cannellini and add to the pot.
• Bring to a boil, then adjust heat to a gentle boil.
• Cook, semicovered, until the chickpeas are tender, about 2 hours (at this point the cannellini will be very tender).
• While the soup cooks, check the level of the liquid; there should always be enough liquid to cover the beans generously; if not, add hot water as necessary.
• Make pesto-combine the basil and olive oil in the work bowl of a food processor or the blender jar.
• Process until the leaves are chopped fine.
• Add the grated cheese and continue processing until the mixture forms a rough paste; set aside.
• Stir in broken fettuccine into the soup once the beans are tender and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente; add water as necessary, if the soup becomes too thick while cooking the pasta (if you are cooking the soup in advance, do not add the pasta until you reheat the soup).
• Serve soup immediately; stir a dollop of basil pesto into the soup pot or spoon a little into each warm soup bowl before ladling in the soup.