The Perfect Bean Soup

There's nothing quite as warming as a hearty soup, and yet sometimes it is hard to find that perfect balance between light and filling. We went to Eataly and found that among all the fancy Italian items, none were quite as tantalizing as this bean soup. So watch the video above or follow below for the full recipe.

Ribollita Della Nonna

Yield: 6 cups

 Bean puree:
·       1 ea. 1 lb can cannellini beans, drained
·       2 cups cold water

Croutons:
·       2 oz garlic oil (1/2 oz garlic cooked in 2 oz olive oil until aromatic)
·       4 oz diced rustica bread, toasted to golden

Finishing:
·       1 fl oz olive oil
·       4 oz speck, minced
·       4 oz each thyme, rosemary in cheesecloth
·       6 oz carrot, grated
·       6 oz celery, small dice
·       6 oz onion, small dice
·       12 oz cabbage, julienne
·       6 oz kale, julienne
·       1 C chicken stock
·       1 ea. 1 lb can cannellini beans, drained
·       Salt and pepper to taste
·       5 fl oz finishing olive oil 

Cannellini bean puree:
Puree 1 can cannellini beans in a blender with 2 cups of water until smooth.

Garlic croutons:
Medium dice 4 oz of day old rustic bread. Mix with 2 oz garlic oil. Toast in oven at 300°F for 10 minutes. 

Finishing:

Start by sweating speck in a large pot or slow cooker over medium heat with olive oil. Add the thyme/rosemary in cheesecloth, carrots, celery, onion, kale, and cabbage into the oil/speck fat, and sweat until tender. Add bean puree and stir until combined. Cook until the puree comes to a light simmer, make sure to stir as to not burn the bottom of the soup.  Once hot, add the garlic croutons and stir until bread has started to fall apart. Add the whole cannellini beans and gently stir to incorporate, as to not break the beans. Adjust final seasoning with salt and pepper, as needed.. Finish with more olive oil and remove the herb bundle before serving.