Tuscan White Bean Soup With Leeks Roasted Garlic Food

"SUPER-TUSCAN" WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Cook the beans: Rinse the beans, place in a saucepan, and add cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for about 20 minutes, then drain.
• Return the beans to the saucepan along with the prosciutto, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and bay leaf. Pour in the chicken stock and then add water as needed to cover the beans by 2 inches. Slowly bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. (If you heat them too fast, the skins may break.) Adjust the heat to maintain a bare simmer and cook, uncovered, until the beans are almost tender, 20 minutes or longer, depending on the age of the beans. Add salt, to taste, and continue cooking until the beans are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let the beans cool in the liquid.
• Meanwhile, make the bruschetta: Preheat a stove-top grill pan. Place the bread slices in a single layer on the grill pan and toast until each side is crisp and has grill marks, about 6 minutes. (You can also toast the bread in a 500 degrees F oven on a baking sheet.) Remove from the pan and lightly brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil, then season lightly with salt. Let cool.
• Strain the cooled beans and other solids through a sieve, reserving the liquid. In a food processor, puree the beans and solids in batches with 3 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Using a rubber spatula, push the solids through a fine mesh sieve into a clean large saucepan (you should have about 6 cups of soup in the saucepan). Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, then bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet over high heat, warm the 1/4 cup olive oil. Turn on the fan above your stove. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn brown. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for a few seconds, then add the basil. Cook until basil wilts.
• To serve, ladle the hot soup into warmed bowls. Top the soup with the basil mixture. Serve bruschetta with each bowl, adding Parmesan, if desired.

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a 4 quart saucepan, over medium high heat, cook olive oil, onion, carrot, celery and potato until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add chicken broth, pepper and water; increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• Increase heat to high; stir in beans with their liquid and pasta and heat to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until pasta is done, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in escarole until heated through.

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN AND GARLIC SOUP

Steps:

• Place a medium, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and beans and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the garlic and simmer until the garlic is softened, about 10 minutes. Pour the soup into a large bowl. Carefully ladle 1/3 to 1/2 of the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. Be careful to hold the top of the blender tightly, as hot liquids expand when they are blended. Pour the blended soup back into the soup pan. Puree the remaining soup. Once all the soup is blended and back in the soup pan, add the cream and the pepper Keep warm, covered, over very low heat.
• Place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the slices of ciabatta bread with extra-virgin olive oil. Grill the bread until warm and golden grill marks appear, about 3 minutes a side. Serve the soup in bowls with the grilled bread alongside.

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN KALE SOUP

Steps:

• Slice the leeks then rinse them well in a colander with cold water.
• Preheat a heavy bottom stock pot over medium flame and add a splash of water and the cleaned leeks with a pinch of sea salt. Saute for a few minutes until they have collapsed and begin to caramelize. (add more liquid if needed to make sure they don't burn).
• Meanwhile rinse the squash, discard the seeds and cut it into one inch pieces. Add it to the pot with the leeks together with the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Give everything a good stir and add the minced garlic and garlic powder. Stir again and pour in the veggie stock.
• Bring the soup to a simmer then add the vegan parmesan (or nutritional yeast) and cook for about 25 minutes until the squash is cooked through.
• Add the cooked beans to the soup and simmer until warm. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Taste and adjust seasonings with sea salt and black pepper to your taste.
• Transfer two cups of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Add the puree back into the soup pot and mix to combine.
• Rinse the kale well and remove the stems. Chop it into small pieces and add it to the soup. Cook a couple of minutes until wilted. Serve hot with a pinch of the red pepper flakes and lemon wedges on the side.

GIADA'S TUSCAN WHITE BEAN AND GARLIC SOUP

Steps:

• In a large soup pot, saute shallots or onion and garlic with butter and olive oil until soft, about 3-5 minutes.
• Add drained beans, sage, and broth. Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• If using an immersion blender: blend soup until smooth. If using a regular blender: pour half of mixture into blender and puree until smooth. Pour blended soup back into pan and blend remaining soup, then pour the rest of the blended soup back into pan.
• Add cream, black pepper, and salt to taste. Keep warm over very low heat!

CREAMY TUSCAN WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Empty the contents of one of the cans of beans (beans and liquid) into a blender and puree until smooth.1 can of beans
• Drain the remaining two cans and set them to one side.2 cans of beans
• Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic cloves.1 onion5 garlic cloves
• Pour the oil into a large saucepan.2 tablespoons olive oil
• Add the chopped onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
• Add the chopped garlic and cook for an additional minute.
• Add the 2 cans of drained beans to the pan and stir to coat in the olive oil.
• Tip in the pureed beans, then rinse the blender out with the vegetable broth and add this to the soup.2 cups vegetable broth
• Add the rosemary, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning½ teaspoon of salt¼ teaspoon of black pepper
• Bring the soup to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes over low heat.
• Remove the soup from the heat and add in the grated parmesan and fresh spinach leaves.½ cup of grated parmesan1 cup of fresh spinach leaves
• Stir to melt the cheese and wilt the spinach.
• Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper to taste.salt and pepper to taste

ITALIAN WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse and pick the beans then cover them with water and soak for 6 hours or overnight. Drain.
• In a large heavy bottom pot heat up a good lug of olive oil and saute the leek (or onion) with the carrot and celery until they begin to soften.
• Quickly stir in the chopped garlic and cook for a few seconds just until fragrant then add the soaked beans.
• Pour in the water and bring to a constant simmer. Add the bay, sage and rosemary, cover with a lid and cook for 45 minutes or until the beans are soft and tender to your liking.
• Check the beans half way through cooking and see if you might need to add extra water if they are absorbing lots of liquid.
• Once your beans are perfectly cooked remove from heat, stir in the nutritional yeast and season to taste with the smoked sea salt.
• Meanwhile grill the bread on both sides until nice dark char marks form. Rub each slice on both sides with a garlic clove, lightly brush with some olive oil and finish with sea salt.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and tear chunks of the garlic bruschetta over the top. Finish with a light drizzle of olive oil on top and enjoy.

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large soup pot heat oil and stir in Garlic, Onion, Leeks and potato. Cook for 4-5 Minutes.
• Add in Vegetable Stock. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add in Savoy Cabbage and undrained can of Beans. Cook for 10 minutes.
• Using a food processor or blender, puree about 1/3 of soup, then add it back to pot. Add parsley.
• Cook for an additional 5 minutes to heat through. Serve with some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.

SPINACH AND LEEK WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic; saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, cannellini beans, bay leaves and cumin. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and stir in the couscous. Cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
• This makes a thick soup. Add additional broth if you prefer a thinner consistency.

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Soak beans in plenty of water overnight, then drain and rinse well.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot and add leeks. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until leeks begin to soften.
• Add celery, garlic, and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add stock, rinsed beans, herbs, salt, and pepper. Bring soup to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and allow to simmer over low heat for 1 - 2 hours until the beans are cooked.
• If you prefer your soup more creamy, puree a third of the soup in a blender and pour back into the pot. Taste and add the lemon juice, and more salt and pepper if needed.
• Ladle soup into individual bowls. Top each portion with some of the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with cheese, if desired.
• Serve with a huge hunk of crusty wholegrain bread and glass of red wine!