WHB: I Apologize, Michael.

Dear Michael Chiarello, I apologize. I've been critical of you in the past. Not about your looks. Never about your looks.  I've complained that while your recipes are delicious, they always take much longer to prepare than expected.  Well, today I made your Tuscan White Bean Soup, With Pesto and it was very easy to make.  I didn't wind up spending hours in the kitchen, muttering epithets about you or picturing you drawn and quartered in a vineyard.  This was a lovely recipe and the soup was delicious.  Since there's basil in it, I think it makes a good submission for Weekend Herb Blogging, which was created by Kalyn at Kalyn's Kitchen, but hosted this week by Kate at Thyme For Cooking.

Each year during spring I begin thinking a great deal about two items for my garden:  Tomatoes and basil.  I love to plant different basil plants, to use in cooking and for their beauty in the garden.  Purple and green colored basil looks lovely planted with flowers.  This recipe calls for pesto which, according to Wikipedia, comes from Genoa, Italy.   In the summer I always try to make pesto in bulk. It's easily frozen in cubes and will retain its wonderful flavor for months in the freezer. The cubes can then be tossed into soups, stews, or other recipes.

The recipe is simple to make, however there is one step that might seem time consuming and unnecessary.  The veggies and beans are pureed in a food processor and passed through a fine mesh strainer.  I almost skipped straining it, because the soup tasted fine right after it was pureed. However, I decided to see if straining the soup improved the taste, and it certainly did taste better.  It took me less than 5 minutes to strain it and the result was a remarkably creamy soup.  The final step was stirring in cooked garlic and basil.

This soup can be served as shown here, or small, tube shaped cooked pasta can be mixed in just before serving. Mushrooms or cubed grilled vegetables would taste good, as well. This soup can be made a day in advance, but will need to be thinned out with stock or water. It's very, very good.

Tuscan White Bean Soup, With Pesto

(Michael Chiarello)

(Serves 6)

For the beans:

1 pound dried cannellini beans  (or 4, 15 ounce cans of cannellini beans, drained)
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto (or use porcini mushrooms)
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 celery rib, quartered
1 carrot, quartered
2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
1 bay leaf
1 quart chicken stock
salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Finely ground sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
6 grilled or toasted bruschetta (rustic bread slices toasted in the oven until brown)
1/4 cup basil pesto
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1.  If using canned beans, drain them and skip to step 4 below. Add them and cook for about 5 minutes on low until heated through. Then follow directions to puree them in the food processor.  I used canned beans and the soup was delicious.

2.  If using dry beans:  Precook the beans: Place the beans 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 1 hour, then drain.

3.  Return the beans to the saucepan along with the prosciutto, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and bay leaf. Add the chicken stock plus enough water 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. Remove from the heat and let cool in the liquid. (You can prepare the beans to this point 1 to 2 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.)

4.  Strain the beans and other solids (reserve the cooking liquid). In a food processor, puree the bean and solids in batches with 3 ý cups of the cooking liquid and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Using a rubber spatula, push the bean mixture through a fine sieve into a large saucepan (you should have about 6 cups of soup in the saucepan). Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and bring it to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

5.  Meanwhile, in a small skillet over high heat, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.  Add the garlic to the skillet and cook until it begins to turn brown, stirring occasionally. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for a few seconds, then add the basil. Cook until basil wilts. Add the mixture to the soup. Taste the soup again for seasonings.

To serve, ladle the hot soup into bowl. Float a bruschetta on top of each bowl. Spoon a big drop of pesto into the soup. Garnish with a sprinkling of cheese.

Comments

[Tanna]

This sounds really wonderful. Bean soups are a real favorite of mine. Did you do it with dried beans or canned?

[Katie]

I love bean soup...and basil and tomatoes.
This looks wonderful!
We have to compare notes on basils. I try to plant 5 or 6 different ones and planted one last year that had such a horrid smell I couldn't even stand working around it! (Sorry, off topic) Wonderful recipe!

[Lydia]

I love bean soups -- I'll try the porcini version of this one. I agree about Michael Chiarello's recipes -- often far too many steps. I think when you cook in a restaurant and have others to do your mise en place, or make sauces, etc., you can cook like that more easily than at home. If you remember Barbara Tropp's China Moon Cookbook, it was exactly the same -- in order to make any recipe, you had to complete three or four other recipes to get all of the ingredients in place!

[e]

Looks great Sher, I'm glad Mr. Beautiful finally came through with an easy recipe that doesn't take hours in the kitchen. I'm most grateful to M. Chiarello for showing me how to use a bundt pan to get niblets off an ear of corn.

[Kalyn]

It does sound good. I don't have any of his cookbooks, but I watch him on TV sometimes. Pesto is good in just about everything, don't you agree?

[Glenna]

That is really interesting. How did straining improve the flavor exactly? Just curious.

[Ari (Baking and Books)]

This soup looks and sounds great, especially with the added flavors and texture of the bread and pesto. And basil too, almost forgot that!

Yum.

[Scott]

I do my best not to fawn over tee-vee chefs. Michael. though, is A-OK by my book.

[Scott]

I do my best not to fawn over tee-vee chefs. Michael, though, is A-OK by my book.

[Willa]

What a beautiful soup, so white and creamy. It never would have occurred to me that straining would improve the flavor- texture yes, but flavor is surprising to me.

And the squirrels are pretty darn cute!

Willa

[Willa]

Oh- I forgot- My husband bought some of the silicone muffin tins, and we found they are amazing for freezing things like pesto. They pop right out when they are frozen, and then I seal them up with my vacuum sealer.

Willa

[peabody]

His stuff can be a little involved.

[Brigitte]

In German I would say "It comes as called". I bought a jar organic canelli beans to make a soup or a stew with just 2 days ago. Now you providing "me" this delicious soundling recipe. And I have a lot of growing basil onmy kitchens window sill. - Thank you.

[Anh]

Sher, this soup looks delicious! I have saved the recipe to make during the coming winter here.

[Helene]

I´m with the others it looks delicious. I list it for the next winter to come. :)

[anne]

That soup sounds outstanding! It's pretty, to boot, with the pesto addition.

You have officially convinced me to buy more than one variety of basil this season. I have some started in pots now - I think I'll buy some more seeds this coming weekend. Thanks for the inspiration! One can never have too much basil. Or tomatoes, for that matter!

[mandira]

I agree with anne, this is outstanding. It looks fabulous. I just planted first tomato plants for the season...

[Michael Chiarello]

Sher...you are quite forgiven! Thanks for all your comments..it helps us all create better recipes all of you have time to cook.

M. Chiarello

[sher]

Tanna,

I used caned beans because I couldn't find the dried variety. I've seen some Internet sites that sell amazing cannellini beans imported from Italy and I've always wanted to try them.

Katie,

Good idea--I'll let you know what basil I plant--and let me know how you like yours.

Lydia,

I must admit that every time I make his recipes they taste wonderful and everyone loves them, including me. I don't have Barbara Tropp's cookbook though.

e,

A bundt pan!! That a great idea! I use a knife but the pan would catch the kernels perfectly too.

Kalyn,

Yes, pesto is wonderful. I was pressed for time tonight and tossed some pasta with it. Bingo--dinner was done.

Glenna,

Straining gave it a silkier texture--and since most of what I strained out was the outer skins of the beans and the fibers in the veggies--I think it made the bean taste more prominent.

Ari,

Thank you. It will be one of my reliable recipes now, I think. It's so good and quick.

Scott,

I always enjoy watching his show too.

Willa,

I was surprised at how quickly the soup passed through the strainer. Sometimes it can be laborious doing that.

Peabody,

Yes, but they have always been a big hit. So, it's kind of like giving birth to a child--worth it. :):)

Anh & Helene,

I hope you like it! I think you will. :):) As I recall, it can also be thinned out and used as a sauce too.

Anne,

I agree with you! Even if you have a ton of basil, you can make pesto and freeze it--or put it in a vase and lend a lovely scent to your rooms.

Mandira,

I also planted my first tomatoes. It's exciting!

Michael,

Thanks for stopping by, and forgiving me! :):). The soup is quite marvelous. And I do like your recipes----that's why I make them.

[Ros]

When I read other bloggers' posts I'm always amazed at how many chefs I've never heard about that are famous over your side of the pond. I actually like doing stupidly complicated things in the kitchen, so I think I'll go and look up some more of Michael's recipes.

This dish sounds delicious and I'm sure that tip about straining soups will be very useful.

[Callipygia]

I'm with you Sher, I love his food and his looks. He's actually one of my favorites to watch on TV bec. of the info he shares.

[Garrett]

I so want to try this.

[Lisa]

I'm so with you on Chiarello (the wanting to draw and quarter him, I mean). Easy, shmeazy. However, this does look quite feasible. I'm crazy about bean soups; must try.