Creamy white bean soup, a hearty, very nutritious and comforting dish for the cold winter days.
Ingredients:
1 large leek or 2 small cut in half and chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
3 celery stalks cut in half and finely chopped
3 carrots cut into quarters and minced
2 minced dried tomatoes (optional)
2 cups of white beans soaked overnight
kombu seaweed about 2 cm
1 spoonfull shiro miso
Olive oil
Salt
1 bunch of coriander or parsley finely chopped
Elaboration:
Put the beans to cook in pressure cooker with the kombu and 3 parts of their volume of clean water. Cook for 5 minutes once the pressure rises. Turn off the leave it to cool down unopened.
The cooking time will depend on the type of pressure cooker you have. The one I use only needs 5 minutes. In any case, if you find the beans are hard just increase the cooking time with the vegetables described later.
In a casserole heat the oil and start sautéing the carrots and the celery with a pinch of salt, then add the chopped leeks and garlic, another pinch of salt and continue sautéing another 3 minutes. If you are going to use the dried tomato, add it now, place the lid, lower the flame and let the vegetables cook gently for about 15 minutes to let them release all their flavour.
Add the beans with the cooking broth, half a bunch of chopped coriander and more water if necessary to give soup consistency. Leave to cook for 10 more minutes.
To make the soup creamy, remove 1/2 cup of beans and mash with a fork. Add them back to the broth. Lower the flame and leave to simmer for another 10 minutes.
Just before serving, dilute the miso in some broth and add it back to the soup, mix well, turn off after a minute and reserve.
When serving sprinkle on top with a bit of parsley or chopped coriander.
Cook it with love … and enjoy!
