It’s fresh beans season once again. Me, I love beans. And lentils. And chickpeas. And beans. Said that already. Fresh beans are a special treat because you have to shell them; which means you get to sit with a glass of wine and for a while the greatest problem in the world is taking the beans out of their pod. Better than golf, much cheaper, and you end up with food.
So today you get to witness my no-nonsense recipe for a bean soup. It’s tasty, it’s healthy, and it’s also fast. Let’s go.
Apron-to-dish time: 90 minutes; SoHo Time: 25 minutes.
For 4 servings:
- 1kg fresh beans (still in the pod)
- 1 1 stick of celery
- 1 mid-size carrot
- 1 mid-size onion or 1/2 leek (I chose leek because swag)
- 2 tablespoonfuls extra-virgin olive oil.
- 1.5l water.
Pour yourself a decent glass of red, and shell the beans. For some reason, this no-brainer makes a great impression on non-cooking people. So put on your best knowledgeable air and look like The Guy Who Can Shell Beans. If you are alone in the house, there still are worse moments to have a quiet glass.
Once you have all your beans in a bowl, rinse them quickly. Just a couple passes under tap water. Do not soak them in water.
Wash and finely chop the carrot, celery and onion (or leek). Do not mind chopping too thin: cooking and mixing will take care of everything.
Pour the oil in a deep pot, toss in the celery, carrot and onion and sauté until the white in the celery and onion are slightly golden.
Pour 1.5 liters of water in the pot, add the beans.
Allow the pot to reach boiling point, then lower your fire and simmer for an hour. Get some other stuff done, or go to gym, or read a book, while food gets ready.
After that, mix everything into a purée. Add a little water to reach the density you prefer. Salt and serve.
Now, when it comes to soups, Italy is divided in two:
- a knob of butter and some grated parmesan or
- a spoonful of extra-virgin olive oil and some freshly-ground black pepper.
I grew up in Milan, where 1 was the local choice. But I’m half Tuscan, so I went by 2 all my life. You just pick whichever you prefer.
Buon appetito!
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Simple, elegant and tasty. I love your advice of having that glass of wine nearby. Can’t wait to start shelling those beans.
thanks! well, there’s cooking because-you-must and then there’s cooking-because-there’s-a-lot-worse-to-do. I’m so for the second choice.
Let us know how it works for you!
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