🍽️

Tuscan White Bean and Bacon Soup

Course
Dinner
Servings

6

If you know me, you know that Ina Garten is my Queen. So obviously I had to include one of her recipes in this week's menu. In fact, when I decided to start my culinary journey over 8 years ago it was after roasting my first whole chicken using her infamous recipe. This soup recipe is from her latest cookbook, Go-To Dinners. I absolutely love it all times of the year, but especially on a cool spring evening after it rains. Her recipe in the book uses dried beans which makes for a more rich and silky soup, but I can never get my act together to soak the beans the night before. Luckily, on her website, she adjusted the recipe to include directions for using cooked canned beans. And that is what I am sharing here. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks:

  • 🔪 Skip steps with knife if you completed the prep ideas!

Ingredients:

  • 2 (14-ounce) cans of white cannellini beans or 1 pound dried white cannellini beans
  • Good olive oil
  • 4 ounces pancetta or thick bacon
  • 2 leeks
  • 2 small yellow onions
  • 5 carrots
  • 4 celery ribs
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp minced fresh rosemary, or dried
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. 🔪 Veg and Pancetta Prep (this can be done up to 3 days ahead).
    1. Dice the pancetta (or bacon) into 1/4 inch pieces.
    2. Clean and slice the leeks, white and light green parts (about 2 cups), into half moons. Here's a good video tutorial on how to do this.
    3. Small dice the yellow onions (about 2 cups).
    4. Small dice the carrots (about 2 cups).
    5. Small dice the celery (about 2 cups).
    6. Mince the garlic (about 2 tbsp).
    7. Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Place 1 cup of the beans and ½ cup of the liquid into the bowl of a food processor [or blender] fitted with the steel blade and puree. When ready to add the beans in the recipe, stir in the puree and add the remaining drained beans (discard the remaining liquid).
  2. Soup Time
    1. In a large (10-inch) pot or Dutch oven such as Le Creuset, heat ¼ cup of olive oil over medium heat, add the pancetta, and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until browned.
    2. Add the leeks, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and rosemary and cook over medium-low for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.
    3. Add the beans, 6 cups of the chicken stock, bay leaves, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.
    4. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.
    5. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.
    6. Discard the bay leaves
    7. Add more chicken stock, a bit at a time, if the soup is too thick.
    8. Taste and salt to taste.
    9. Ladle into large shallow soup bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot.

Reheat Options

  1. Reheat in a small to medium pot depending on how much you're heating. Add a 1/4-1/2 cup of water (which will mostly evaporate as it heats). Salt to taste before serving.