Quick and Easy Vegan White Bean Italian Style Soup
4 Large or 6 Modest Servings: This is a great soup recipe when you're busy and tired, and need something fast, hot and nourishing for supper. It's delicious with any kind of bread or muffins, and a salad - or not. It's vegetarian yummy with grated parmesan cheese.
This soup recipe calls for canned beans, but you can cook your own very easily - it just takes more time, so you have to plan ahead. A blender is fast and easy to puree the soup, but a blender stick or stiff whisk or other pureeing or mashing device will also work, with a variety of results.
Soup Ingredients:
1 can Great Northern or other white beans*
*If you want to cook your own beans, see the directions below
2 - 3 cups peeled, cubed potatoes
1 fennel bulb, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 - 3 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly on the diagonal
3 Tblsp olive oil or other vegetable oil, or ghee
1 pinch hing or 1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil OR 1 Tblsp fresh minced
1 tsp dried marjoram OR 1 Tblsp fresh minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme, OR several fresh sprigs
1/2 tsp dried ground fennel, or celery seed
1 tiny pinch cayenne
6 cups boiling water
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Soup Directions:
Heat the oil in an 8 - 10 quart pan
Prep the veggies
Add the hing or garlic to the oil
Add the veggies and saute 5 minutes on med/high heat
Add the herbs and spices, saute briefly.
Drain and rinse the beans, then add to veggies.
Add the boiling water, simmer 1/2 hour or until veggies are very tender.
Remove about 1 quart veg (except carrots) with broth, and puree in a blender. Or use a food processor, food mill, blender stick, stiff whisk, or potato masher.
Pour the puree back into soup
Add salt & pepper, adjust seasonings to taste
*Great White Bean Cooking Instructions:
Note - This makes enough beans for a second batch, to freeze, or make a double soup recipe. Using a pressure cooker greatly reduces cooking time, but don't omit the soaking!
Soak 1 c. of beans 8 hours.
Use hot water & change several times to cut soaking time in half
Drain & rinse the soaked beans, cover with cold water to cover & bring to a boil
Boil ten minutes & skim the foam
Cover & simmer for 1 - 2 hours, until falling-apart tender
Note: If you're going to soak and cook beans, it's worth making extra, to freeze in small amounts for future meals.
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