Tuscan White Bean Spinach Soup Recipes

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.

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.

"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 AND SPINACH SOUP

Steps:

• Place white beans into a large container and cover with water; let soak 8 hours to overnight.
• Drain beans, reserving 2 cups soaking water.
• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrots; cook and stir until tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in spinach; cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add beans, reserved soaking water, broth, garlic, and bay leaf. Simmer, covered, until beans are tender, about 1 hour.
• Discard bay leaf. Pour half the soup into a blender. Cover and hold lid down with a potholder; puree until smooth. Stir pureed soup back into the pot. Season with parsley, salt, and black pepper.

TUSCAN SPINACH BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring often, until onion is softened; 5-6 minutes.
• Mix in broth, tomatoes, macaroni, parsley, basil, beans, spinach, salt and pepper.
• Heat to boiling then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the macaroni is tender.
• Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.