White Bean Soup With Quinoa Spinach And Shiitakes 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.

WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH QUINOA, SPINACH, AND SHIITAKES

Steps:

• Place the cannellini beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Or, bring the beans and water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Once boiling, turn off the heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans before using.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until they soften and begin to give up their juices, about 4 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the pot, and set aside. Heat the remaining tablespoon of canola oil in the pot, and stir in the sliced onions. Cook and stir until the onions have caramelized to a dark brown, about 15 minutes.
• Pour in the wine and rosemary, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the drained beans, and enough water to cover the beans by 1 inch. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Stir in the cooked mushrooms and quinoa; continue cooking until the beans and the quinoa are tender, about 20 minutes more. Remove from the heat, and stir in the spinach leaves until wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

HEARTY QUINOA AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery, and sauté until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans and garlic and stir for 2 minutes.
• Stir in tomatoes and their juices, and vegetable stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add quinoa, parsley, oregano or other herb, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer until quinoa is cooked, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf and serve.

SPINACH AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir until tender, 30-45 seconds. Stir in 2 cans of beans, pepper and broth., Puree mixture using an immersion blender. Or puree in a blender and return to pan. Stir in remaining can of beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally., Stir in spinach and basil; cook, uncovered, until spinach is wilted, 2-4 minutes. If desired, serve with cheese.

WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH QUINOA, SPINACH, AND SHIITAKES

Steps:

• Place the cannellini beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Or, bring the beans and water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Once boiling, turn off the heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans before using.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until they soften and begin to give up their juices, about 4 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the pot, and set aside. Heat the remaining tablespoon of canola oil in the pot, and stir in the sliced onions. Cook and stir until the onions have caramelized to a dark brown, about 15 minutes.
• Pour in the wine and rosemary, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the drained beans, and enough water to cover the beans by 1 inch. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Stir in the cooked mushrooms and quinoa; continue cooking until the beans and the quinoa are tender, about 20 minutes more. Remove from the heat, and stir in the spinach leaves until wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

QUICK WHITE BEAN AND SPINACH SOUP

Steps:

• Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium pan.
• Add the spinach and allow to boil for a bit and wilt down the leaves, stirring often.
• Reduce heat and add the rinsed and drained beans, roasted garlic, and V-8 juice.
• Simmer gently for 5-10 minutes.
• Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste.

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN & SPINACH SOUP

Steps:

• In a large sauce pan, sautee the shallots & garlic in the olive oil.
• Add broth, tomatoes, beans and rosemary to pot. Season with black and red pepper. Bring to boil.
• Add pasta and cook 12 minutes. If the soup seems too thick for your liking add a bit more broth.
• Add spinach and cook until wilted.