Tuscan cannellini bean soup with basil oil, toasted pine nuts and rosemary croutons
This Tuscan cannellini bean soup is made in one pot, ready in under an hour and perfect as a starter or as a main course. Served with fresh rosemary croutons and an aromatic basil oil, this soup is both delicious and nourishing.
Ingredients
Basil oil
- 2 bunches of basil
- 300ml of olive oil
Toasted pine nuts
- 30g of pine nuts
Rosemary sourdough croutons
Cannellini bean soup
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
- 2 shallots , diced
- 150g of carrots , diced
- 150g of celery , diced
- 4 garlic cloves , diced
- 1 tbsp of tomato paste
- 400g of tinned cannellini beans , rinsed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1l chicken stock
- 100g of baby spinach leaves
- salt to taste
Garnish
- 1 tbsp of double cream
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- cracked black pepper to taste
Method
For the basil oil, first blend the olive oil with the basil until smooth
- 2 bunches of basil
- 300ml of olive oil
Transfer to a small pot and bring to a simmer. Once the herb solids and infused oil separates, strain the mix through a fine sieve and cheesecloth into a jar. Chill in the fridge until needed
To toast the pine nuts, add to a dry pan over medium heat and cook until golden
- 30g of pine nuts
To make the croutons, fry the sourdough in the olive oil over a medium heat
- 3 slices of sourdough bread, diced
- 100ml of olive oil
For the cannellini bean soup, sauté the shallots, carrots and celery in olive oil over medium/low heat until soft. Add in the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes until fragrant. Add in the tomato paste then stir in the rinsed cannellini beans and oregano. Add the chicken stock then bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and simmer for another 15-20 minutes
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
- 2 shallots , diced
- 150g of carrots , diced
- 150g of celery , diced
- 4 garlic cloves , diced
- 1 tbsp of tomato paste
- 400g of tinned cannellini beans , rinsed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1l chicken stock
Using a hand blender, blitz half of the soup in the pot so that the soup becomes thicker. Make sure to avoid blending all of the soup. Alternatively, transfer half of the soup to another container and blitz, then add this back to the pot itself. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add in the spinach and cook until wilted
- 100g of baby spinach leaves
- salt to taste
To serve, ladle a generous portion of the soup into bowls, then top with a drizzle of double cream, basil oil, chilli flakes, rosemary croutons and a scrunch of black pepper
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Tuscan cannellini bean soup with basil oil, toasted pine nuts and rosemary croutons
