Garlic And White Bean Soup with Parmesan Crostini
This smooth, golden soup is rich and creamy despite being relatively
low-fat. We like to serve it with toasted rounds of French bread
(called crostini), which we've brushed with olive oil and sprinkled
with Parmesan before baking.
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) dried canellini, great Northern, navy, or other
white beans
6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) water
6 to 8 whole, peeled garlic cloves
1 cup (5 ounces) diced onions
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups (1 pint) vegetable stock
2 1/2 cups (5 ounces) fresh soft bread crumbs
3 tablespoons sesame tahini (optional)
1 cup (8 ounces) light cream or vegetable broth (to adjust the
consistency of the soup)
Place the beans in a large pot, cover them with the 6 cups of water,
and soak them overnight.
The next day, drain the beans, transfer them to a large saucepan, add
4 cups of water, and simmer them for 1 hour. Add the garlic, onions,
bay leaf, salt, pepper and vegetable stock. Simmer until the beans are
soft. Add the bread crumbs and simmer for 5 minutes. The mixture will
be quite thick; stir often to prevent the bottom from scorching.
Remove the soup from the heat, and cool it slightly. Use a food
processor or blender to pure the soup until it's creamy and smooth
(or pure it right in the pan, using an immersion blender). Return
the soup to the pot and add the sesame tahani and optional cream or
chicken stock to achieve the consistency you desire. Serve hot with
Parmesan crostini. Yield: twelve 1-cup servings.
Parmesan Crostini
24 thin (1/4-inch) crosswise slices from a baguette
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
Brush the slices of baguette with olive oil (or spray them with olive
oil spray). Place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking
sheet. Bake them for 15 minutes at 350°F. Sprinkle them with the
grated Parmesan cheese, and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes,
until the crostini are light brown and very crisp. Remove them from
the oven, cool completely and store in an airtight container. (These
may be made several days ahead.) Serve them with the soup.
Nutrition information per serving (1 1/4 cups soup with 2 crostini,
293g): 323 cal, 13g fat,13g protein,39g complex carbohydrates, 7g
dietary fiber, 16mg cholesterol, 688mg sodium, 526mg potassium, 52RE
vitamin A, 2mg vitamin C, 5mg iron, 212mg calcium, 188mg phosphorus.
©2008 The King Arthur Flour Company, Inc. All
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