Today is the start of a new year and I finally feel like I can splurge a little on groceries. I’ve had my eye on this yummy Rice Bean soup for sometime now and I plan on making it this week. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese here I come!
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 1/4 cup chopped pancetta
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cans (each 15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 12 baguette slices, each 4 inches long and 1/2 inch thick
- 1 cup jarred roasted red bell peppers
- 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tsp. sherry vinegar
- 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp. honey
Directions:
In a 3 1/2-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cannellini beans, broth and thyme and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and black pepper. Keep the soup warm.
Meanwhile, brush the baguette slices on both sides with olive oil and season lightly with salt. Heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Toast the bread, turning once, until nicely grill-marked, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside.
In the blending cup of an immersion blender, chop the roasted red bell peppers. Stir in 1/2 tsp. salt, the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil, the parsley, vinegar, red pepper flakes, honey and black pepper. Top the baguette slices with the roasted red bell pepper tapenade, dividing evenly. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and serve immediately with the crostini. Serves 6.
I tried this soup tonight, and had to report back. It was truly delicious! I made some tweaks, mostly inspired by a comment on the original Williams Sonoma recipe. What I did differently was: Left out the pancetta (I’m sure it’s awesome, but I’m vegetarian), pureed only two of the cans of beans, then added the third can of beans, 1 cup of dried pasta (I used macaroni), and a couple big handfuls of chopped Swiss chard. Oh, and I doubled the Parmesan too! I served with a drizzle of olive oil and a little more Parmesan on top. (I’m kind of a cheese-aholic.) It was seriously so good. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Oh, and I served with pumpkin cheddar muffins (http://www.takeamegabite.com/?p=10230) instead of the crostini because I didn’t have roasted red peppers on hand. I have to say, the combo was divine and completely filling.
Thanks again!