When the days are getting colder, the leaves change colour and you start wearing a hoodie, that’s when you realize autumn is around the corner. That’s probably my favourite time of the year, because that means it’s officially soup and stew season.
To start things off, I made a white bean soup packed with herby flavours from a variety of greens, mainly leek and parsley. This dish is perfect for anyone who wants a low-effort meal, without losing any flavour.
How to make Herby White Bean Soup
When making a soup or stew, it is important to adjust seasonings throughout the cooking process, so make sure to taste and add more salt or black pepper at each step, if necessary.
Aromatics
The first step to a good soup is preparing the aromatics to create a base for the dish and you only need to cut a few for this dish: Onion, garlic and a leek (separate the white from the greens).
- To release the natural oils from our whole spices, start by toasting fennel and coriander seeds in some olive oil.
- Sauté the onion and the white parts of the leek until they are soft, then add the minced garlic.
Cook the Beans
I recommend using dried beans over canned ones, as they provide a better texture and will soak up so much flavour in the cooking process. If you do, make sure to soak them overnight and rinse before adding them to the pot.
Add enough vegetable stock to cover them, bring to a boil and cook until they are tender, which will take at least 1h most of the time.
If you are using canned beans, it is still preferred to reduce the vegetable stock for an hour to maximize the flavours. You can add them in the next step.
Herbs, Greens and Blending
At this point, we will provide the soup with the flavour of fresh herbs, like parsley, bay leaves and the green parts of the leek.
If you are more smooth soups, blend some parts of the soup using either a hand blender, or by transferring a few ladles to a food processor. Incorporate the blended mixture and let it cook for a few minutes. This will make the soup more creamy and thicker.
If you want to incorporate more green vegetables in your diet, this is the perfect time to add some spinach.
Optionally, add some miso paste (or MSG) for more depth, but make sure to check your salt and black pepper levels one last time before serving.
Finishing touches
This might seem optional to some, but do not skip this step. Some might notice that the flavour profiles are not complete and the soup might seem boring if you don’t:
- Squeeze some fresh lemon juice to brighten the soup with acidity and provide a freshness
- Add some cooking cream to for richness
I like to add them after serving on a plate, to make it look pretty and get the most out of both, but you can totally add them to the pot in the last 5 minutes.
Serving, Substitutes and Storage
Of course, the soup can be eaten as a starter, but if you want to have it as a main, do one of the following:
- serve it with buttered bread or rice
- Make a noodle soup out of it
- Add potatoes to the soup
You can change up and vary many ingredients in this dish without losing its soul:
- Use chickpeas or pinto beans instead of white beans
- Add rosemary or thyme instead of parsley
- Use balsamic vinegar instead of lemon juice
The soup will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days and can easily be stored in the freezer for multiple weeks.
The Recipe
Herby White Bean Soup
Zutaten
Kochutensilien
Method
- Season with salt and black pepper as you go at each step.
- In a large pot, heat up the olive oil and toast the whole spices (coriander and fennel seeds) for 1 min on low heat.
- Add the onion and white parts of the leek with some salt and sauté on medium heat until soft. Then, add the garlic and repeat for 1-2 minutes.
- If using dried beans, drain and rinse them thoroughly, before adding them to the pot alongside the vegetable stock. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the beans until tender (1 hour at least).
- If you are using canned beans, 750ml of the stock to the pot and keep simmering for at least an hour. Drain, rinse and add the beans.
- Add parsley, bay leaves and the green parts of the leek. Mix and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
- If desired, blend some parts of the soup either using a hand blender or by transferring it to a food processor to make the soup thicker and more creamy.
- Add the defrosted spinach, mix and cook for 10 more minutes
- Turn off the heat and dissolve the miso paste (or add MSG). Give the soup a taste to adjust salt and black pepper levels.
- Serve the soup to a bowl and squeeze the juice of half a lemon into each bowl. Add 1-2 tablespoons of cooking cream and enjoy.
Notizen
- For canned beans, use 3 (400g) cans, which is ~750g of drained beans.
- Optionally, use a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar per serving instead.
