White Bean Soup a Recipe to Warm You Up

Soup 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

Petra Carter

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.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Lunch Dish, Soup, Starter Course

Cuisine French

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 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.

Keyword Appetizer, Beans, Lunch Dish, Soups

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Petra Carter

Petra Carter is the smiling face behind the cooking school Le Pistou. The cookery school is centrally located in Uzès, right next to the tourist office and steps away from the main boulevard. The one-time garage was wholly transformed into a bright, lofted space equipped explicitly for cooking classes.

This lady - previously the food-editor of Irish Tatler - has developed several options for classes at le Pistou Cookery School. There are workshops and multi-day classes where students dive into the magic of cooking with flavours of the South of France.