White Bean Soup a Recipe to Warm You Up
Petra Carter · Provencal Recipes · Soup · TasteSoup is a great addition or centrepiece for a meal in any season, but it’s an excellent way to warm up on a cool day. The French have been perfecting soups for centuries, creating dishes that range from rich stews to subtle, savoury medleys.
Beans are an inexpensive but nutritious addition to this soup that is guaranteed to keep you full and satisfied for quite a while. This recipe is fantastic on its own, accompanied by your favourite crusty bread, or can be a great side for a sandwich of your choice.

White Bean Soup
This soup is ideal for a dinner party as it can be made ahead. Heat it through at the last moment and serve with toasted country bread.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 oz Bacon chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 1 Leek chopped
- a few sprigs of thyme
- 2 tins (15 oz) Cannellini Beans drained and rinsed under the tap
- 4 1/4 cups chicken stock
- 2 handfuls of baby spinach
- 1 small Spicy Sausage sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley to garnish
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Stir in onion, garlic, leeks and thyme and ‘sweat’ (which means cooking very gently without browning), stirring often, for 10 minutes.
- Add the stock and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the beans and the sausage slices and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- If you like your soup a little thicker, use the back of a spoon or a fork to crush some of the beans.
- Just before serving, stir in the spinach and allow to wilt. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with parsley, and serve.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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