Description
A rustic and hearty cannellini bean soup inspired by the simple yet flavorful staff meals at the legendary El Bulli restaurant. This comforting soup is simmered with herbs and tomato, then finished with a vibrant, nutty Picada for a bright, textural contrast.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Bean Soup:
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 large brown onion, finely chopped (approx. 180g)
- 1/4 tsp fresh thyme, chopped (or 1/8 tsp dried)
- 1/4 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1/8 tsp dried)
- 1 bay leaf (or 1/2 dried)
- 1/3 cup tomato passata
- 4 x 14 oz (400g) cans cannellini beans, drained
- 3 cups vegetable stock (preferably homemade or low-sodium store-bought)
- For the Picada:
- 1/4 cup whole hazelnuts (or almonds)
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt (or 1/4 tsp table salt)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat.
- Add garlic, onion, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Sauté for 8 minutes until onions are golden and caramelized.
- Stir in tomato passata and cook for another 8 minutes until it darkens and thickens.
- Add the cannellini beans and vegetable stock.
- Simmer gently for 15 minutes, uncovered.
- Remove 2/3 cup of soup and puree it using a stick blender until smooth.
- Return the puree to the pot and stir to thicken the rustic bean soup.
- Just before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons of Picada.
- Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Serve hot, garnished with a dollop of the remaining Picada and crusty bread.
- To Make the Picada: Toast hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 4 minutes until fragrant.
- Wrap in a towel and rub to remove most of the skins.
- Roughly chop, then blend with parsley, garlic, olive oil, and salt until you get a pesto-like texture for your rustic bean soup.
Notes
- For a smoother soup, you can puree a larger portion of the beans.
- Feel free to add other herbs like oregano or marjoram to the soup.
- If you don’t have hazelnuts, almonds or walnuts work well in the Picada.
- This rustic bean soup can be made vegetarian or enhanced with seafood like clams.
- Leftovers of this hearty bean soup store well and flavors deepen overnight.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Catalan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 304 kcal
- Sugar: N/A
- Sodium: N/A
- Fat: N/A
- Saturated Fat: N/A
- Unsaturated Fat: N/A
- Trans Fat: N/A
- Carbohydrates: N/A
- Fiber: N/A
- Protein: N/A
- Cholesterol: N/A