Try Swapping Heirloom Cranberry Beans for Cannellini Beans in Your Tuscan Bean Soup
Recipe for Garlicky Tuscan Bean Soup with Escarole
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 whole head of garlic
- 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
- 1 1/2 cups dried Heirloom Cranberry Beans OR Cannellini Beans (soaked overnight)
- 1 4- inch Parmesan rind
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- Pink Himalayan salt (to taste)
- White pepper (to taste)
- 1 Spanish onion (chopped)
- 3 celery stalks (chopped)
- 3 carrots (chopped)
- 1 can (14.5 ounces whole peeled tomatoes)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup whole grain penne pasta (see notes below for pasta brand suggestions)
- 2 heads escarole (leaves torn into 2-inch pieces)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F: Set a rack in the middle position. Peel (most of) the paper off the garlic: Use your fingers to peel away all the loose, papery, outer layers around the head of garlic, but leave the head itself intact. Trim about 1/4 inch off the top of the head to expose the tops of the garlic cloves. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the exposed surface of the garlic, wrap the garlic in foil and roast for 40 minutes.
- While garlic is roasting, bring beans, Parmesan rind, rosemary, bay leaves and 8 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, adding more water as needed, until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 30 minutes.
- While beans are cooking, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onions, celery and carrots. Saute vegetables for about 8 minutes, or until soft, Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands, and cook, stiring often, until liquid is almost completely reduced, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the garlic from the oven and set aside to cool. Squeeze each garlic clove out of its paper, mash lightly with a fork and add to the tomato-vegetable mixture. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook until liquid is completely evaporated, about 8 minutes.
- Add the tomato-vegetable mixture to the pot of beans and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Add the pasta and cook, adding more water if necessary, for 15 minutes. Add escarole and cook until wilted, about 1-minute. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
Notes
For gluten free penne, I like TruRootsbrand, made with amaranth, quinoa and brown rice. For whole wheat penne, I likeBionaturae Organic Pasta.
Leave a Comment + Rating