Bringing together simple, good quality ingredients makes for kitchen magic. This delicious Lemony White Bean Soup is a stand-out example of that principle.
INGREDIENTS
-
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 1 bunch sturdy greens, I used cabbage and kale, finely sliced and stems chopped
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin, plus more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- 3 shallots, minced
- 1 leek finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 veggie broth cubes prepared with boiling water to dissolve
- 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup chopped fresh, soft herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, basil, tarragon, thyme, chives, or a combination
- salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh lemon juice from 2 lemons (and grated zest for topping)
PREPARATION
- Heat a large heavy pot over medium-high for a minute or so to warm it up. Add the oil and heat until it thins out. Add leek, shallots, and carrot, and sauté until soft and brown at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes.
- While the vegetables cook, rinse the greens and pull the leaves off the stems. Chop stems into small bite-size pieces and cut the leaves into thin strips. Set aside.
- Once vegetables are ready, stir tomato paste, 3/4 teaspoon cumin and 1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes into the pot, and sauté until paste darkens, about 1 minute. Remove this mixture from pot and set aside. Wiping pot clean with a paper towel
- Adding a splash more oil to the pot, sauté stems and leaves from greens until just barely tender.
- Combine in leek, shallots, carrots and white beans stirring into the greens.
- Grate in ginger and cover mixture completely with prepared broth adding additional water if needed.
- Bring soup to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes. Add lemon, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil, grated lemon zest, and more red-pepper flakes, if desired.