Bean Basil Soup Recipes

BEAN & BASIL SOUP

Steps:

• In large saucepan, bring chicken stock to a boil over medium heat. Add tomatoes, onion and oregano and simmer about 10 minutes. Add beans and continue cooking until onion is tender, about another 10 minutes.
• In blender or food processor, finely chop the garlic and basil. Add olive oil and process until combined. Using a slotted spoon, transfer half the beans and veggies to the basil mixture. Process until smooth, then stir puree back into the soup.
• Cook pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water. Stir the pasta into the soup and season with salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, thin out with the pasta cooking water.
• Garnish with basil and serve.

BASIC BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the beans with the water, cover and let soak overnight.
• In a large pot over medium high heat, combine the soaked beans with water, carrots, onion and ham. Add more water to cover all, if necessary. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 4 to 6 hours. Add ketchup just to get desired color. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

VEGETARIAN SPLIT PEA SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the first 9 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until peas are tender, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. , Add salt and pepper; simmer 10 minutes longer. Remove soup from heat; cool slightly. Process in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth; return to pan and heat through. If desired, garnish with carrots and green onions.

PROVENçAL VEGETABLE SOUP WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Prepare the beans: Put the beans and 5 cups water in a saucepan over high heat. Add onion stuck with clove, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, salt and olive oil. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Leave beans to cool in their own broth. (May be cooked several hours or up to 1 day in advance.)
• Make the soup: Put olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, season generously with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring until softened and barely browned, about 10 minutes.
• Add potato and 2 cups water to soup pot. Cover and cook until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Add cooked shell beans and bean broth and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm.
• Meanwhile, working in batches in a separate pot, blanch Romano beans, wax beans and zucchini in salted water for 1 minute. Spread out to cool on a baking sheet.
• Make the pistou: Put basil, garlic and olive oil in a food processor and pulse to a rough paste. (Alternatively, pound basil and garlic in a stone mortar and stir in oil and cheese.) Stir in about 1/2 cup grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. (Makes about 3/4 cup.)
• To serve, add blanched vegetables to soup pot and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle into bowls and add about 2 tablespoons pistou to the center of each bowl. Pass extra grated cheese at the table.

BASIC HAM AND BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse the beans, sorting out any broken or discolored ones. In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and the beans and remove from heat. Let beans sit in the hot water for at least 60 minutes.
• After the 60 minutes of soaking, return the pot to high heat and place the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mustard and bay leaves in the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 60 more minutes.
• Remove ham bone and discard. Stir in the chopped ham and simmer for 30 more minutes. Season with ground white pepper to taste.