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A thick puree of cooked dried beans is at
the heart of this substantial country soup from Tuscany. It makes a
warming lunch or supper dish.
Ingredients
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dried cannellini or other white beans
- 400g
-
onion - 1, chopped
-
tomatoes - 3, peeled and chopped
-
garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
-
bay leaf - 2
-
olive oil - 6 tbsp
-
carrot - 1, chopped
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celery stick - 1, chopped
-
fresh thyme leaves - 2 tsp
-
boiling water - 800ml
-
ground black pepper and salt
Method
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Rinse thoroughly in cold water,
soak in a large bowl of cold water overnight. Drain the beans
and place them in a pan of water, bring to boil and cook for 25
minutes. Drain.
-
Return the beans to pan, cover
with cold water and bring to boil again.
-
Add the bay leaf and cook until
the beans are tender, cook about 2 hours. Drain again, remove
the bay leaf.
-
Puree three-quarters of the beans
in a blender, adding a little water if necessary, blend to make
a smooth paste.
-
Heat the oil in a pan, stir in the
onion and cook until it softens. Add the carrot and celery, then
cook for 8 minutes more.
-
Stir in the tomatoes, thyme and
garlic, cook for 8 minutes more, stirring often.
-
Pour the boiling water, stir in
the beans and the bean puree, season with pepper and salt.
Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve in a bowl, sprinkle with little
olive oil. Serves 6.
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