This last Saturday morning I woke up feeling a bit wabbit. In case that leaves you a bit perplexed, let me provide a definition. The Scottish national dictionary defines wabbit as: Exhausted, tired out, played out, feeble, without energy. The cause of my general malaise can be attributed directly to attending Burns Night at the Old Post Office. It was not the quantity of scotch that I consumed, but the late bedtime as the eastern horizon was beginning to lighten. Clad in fuzzy pajamas and wrapped in a blanket, I sat in my living room recliner and considered what I was going to cook later that evening. A hot, hearty soup seemed perfect.
In the Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Club Facebook group, I had recently seen a couple of posts about a Tuscan Bean Soup from Chef Samin Nosrat. She is insistent on breaking the trend of professional chefs who cook almost exclusively over high heat, describing her time in commercial kitchens as walking up and down the line turning down the gas under her cooks’ sauté pans. I was inspired to actually follow a recipe, for once, and give Samin’s soup a try.
The recipe for Tuscan Bean and Kale Soup can be found in Samin’s beautiful cookbook, “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.” There are lovely watercolor illustrations gracing almost every page and thorough descriptions about flavor combinations, tastes, and technique that can help even the most accomplished chef improve on their skills. This week, Samin reminded me that one of the most important ingredients in anything that I prepare is time. Slow down and kick the flavor up a notch.
The only modification I made on Samin’s original recipe was to add a squeeze of lemon juice right before we shoveled it into our mouths. I think this soup really shines with a little acid at the end to cut through its rich layers. Here’s a shout-out to one of my favorite chef-ladies: Thanks for the reminder to slow down and build up layers of flavor in my soups and everything that I cook.
Samin Nosrat’s Tuscan Bean and Kale Soup (with a squeeze of lemon)
INGREDIENTS:
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 oz pancetta or bacon, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
2 bay leaves
Kosher or fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 c crushed canned tomatoes
3 c cooked beans, such as cannellini, corona or borlotti (cranberry) beans, cooking liquid reserved (from about 1 cup dry); or 2 (15-ounce) cans
1 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/3 cup), divided, rind reserved
3 to 4 c chicken broth
2 bunches lacinato kale, stemmed and thinly sliced
1/2 small head green cabbage, core removed and thinly sliced
1 lemon, cut into wedges
DIRECTIONS
Set a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the pancetta and cook, stirring for 1 minute, until it just begins to brown.
Add the onion, celery, carrots, and bay leaves. Season generously with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and just starting to brown, about 15 minutes. Dig a little hole in the center of the pot, then add another tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and let it sizzle gently until it gives off an aroma, about 30 seconds. Before the garlic has a chance to brown, add the tomatoes. Stir, taste, and add salt as needed.
Let the tomatoes simmer until they cook down to a jammy consistency, about 8 minutes. Add the beans and their cooking liquid, half the grated Parmesan and its rind, and enough stock or water to cover. Add two immoderate splashes of olive oil, about 1/4 cup. Stirring occasionally, bring the soup back to a simmer. Add the kale and cabbage, bring to a simmer again, adding more stock or water as needed to cover.
Cook until the flavors have come together, and the greens are tender, about 20 minutes.
Taste and adjust for salt. I like this soup to be very thick but add more liquid if you like a lighter soup. Remove the Parmesan rind and bay leaves.
Serve with a drizzle of the best olive oil you have on hand, and the remaining grated Parmesan.
Storage note: Store covered in refrigerator for up to 5 days. This soup also freezes exceptionally well, for up to 2 months. Return the soup to a boil before serving.
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