ATK Classic Tuscan White Bean Soup

America's Test Kitchen's Classic Tuscan White Bean Soup

Ingredients:

Salt and pepper
1 lb dried cannellini beans
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2 pieces
8 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and minced
5 cup water
3 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1 pound kale or collard greens, stemmed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 sprig fresh rosemary

1. Dissolve 3 tbsp salt in 4 quarts cold water in large contained. Add beans and soak at room temperature for 8-24 hours. Drain and rinse well.

2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat to 250 degrees. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 10-15 minutes.

3. Stir in garlic and mushrooms and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in water, broth, soaked beans, and bay leaves. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until beans are almost tender (very center of beans will still be firm), 45 minutes to 1 hour.

4. Stir in kale and tomatoes and continue to cook in oven, covered, until beans and greens are fully tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

5. Remove pot from oven. Submerge rosemary sprig in stew, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves and rosemary sprig. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, use back of spoon to press some beans against side of pot to thicken soup. Drizzle extra olive oil over individual bowls and serve.

Quicker version:
Do 4 cans of cannellini beans and soak them in 2 cups of water. Add water, broth, beans, bay leaves, kale and tomatoes to pot at same time and simmer gently on stovetop until vegetables and greens are fully tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Add rosemary sprig off heat as directed.

For the longer version, I think I tend to prefer softer beans, so I needed to plan on the longer side of the time estimates. This soup doesn't have explosions of flavor, but it is subtle and really well balanced.