THE IRONWEED KITCHEN

42. CANNELLINI SOUP

This is an extraordinary soup made with just a few ingredients. I’m calling this Cannellini Soup even though the beans share the spotlight with these beautiful leeks.

The Cannellini bean is a perfect substitute for potato and creamy dairy in a typical leek soup

• Cannellini beans after a four hour soak – 1 pound

• My chicken stock from the barbie essay 38

• Big pile of leeks

• Easy garlic essay 1

• Salt & pepper

• All-Clad Pressure Cooker – stove top. The best.

• Parmigiano Reggiano rind (not shown here)

Rinsed beans (after 4 hour soak), one quart of stock and a generous gob of goat butter. The fat keeps the beans from foaming in the pressure cooker.

Note: It is thought, in some circles, that pressure cooking beans mitigates the effect of their harmful (gut penetrating) lectins.

This is all there is to it.

I’m going for an 8 minute cook. I want some tooth in the beans.

Cutting off the greens and trimming the tips. I just remembered that I had Parmigiano Reggiano rinds in the freezer. They’ll impart an enigmatic richness to the soup.

Note: Never throw these PR rinds away. Keep a rind bag in the freezer for special soups.

Split the leeks for cleaning.

I typically remove the outer layer, flip through the rest like a deck of cards and rinse under the faucet then shake well.

I have found the easiest way to thin slice leeks is to use a rubber band for holding a handful of cleaned halves together.

Like this.

The Cannellini’s have completed their 8 minute run. I immediately dump them into a colander that sits atop a large mixing bowl to preserve the liquid and then rinse the beans under cold water to stop the cooking process.

The beans are cool and I’m returning the bean broth to the pressure cooker.

I have committed about 2/3 of the beans back to the pressure cooker and holding about a 1/3 in reserve. It’s just a “feel” thing.

I’m doing the same with the leeks. After the soup has been cooked and creamed with my immersion wand, I will return the remaining beans and some of the raw leeks to the soup for texture and flavor.

In goes the remaining 2 quarts of stock.

Parmigiano Reggiano rinds.

I’m setting the cooker for 12 minutes.

In the meantime, I’m chopping a large bunch of parsley.

For a creamed soup, I like it finely chopped. 

I’ve decided to do another bunch. I brought two home just in case. Glad I did.

I tied up some fresh thyme from the garden and placing it in-between paper towel to prepare it for a rude flavor release.

I wack it several times with my mallet just before I use it in the finishing process.

Flavor releaser! The aroma is explosive after the mallet treatment.

The 12 minute cook is over. The first thing I’m doing is fishing out the Parmigiano Reggiano rinds.

In goes the immersion wand and the creaming process begins. This really is a lot easier than a standard food processor.

I check the consistency several times before I’m satisfied that both the beans and leeks are busted up for a perfect creamy texture.

Now for the finish. 

I begin with a generous dollop or two of Easy Garlic.

Some of the finely chopped raw leek that I held in reserve. This is done by feel. Add a little at a time until you’ve arrived at the right spot. You’ll know.

In goes the parsley and the reserved whole beans (the degree of tooth is one of personal preference) with tooth being the operative word...

Another gob of goat butter.

I slosh the thyme around and then let it sink into the soup.

A generous quantity of freshly ground Tellicherry.

I gently fold and stir while I salt to taste. The pot is then returned to the stove and re-heated to the proper serving temperature. I do not allow the soup to boil, however, I usually get it hot enough that it has a chance to come together while it’s cooling a little.

This is a seriously great soup. The garnish is a generous sprinkling of Smoked Bulog from Batman Baughman of the Blue Ridge.

Served with the Cannellini soup is a de-seeded piece of cucumber filled with goat yogurt and Tellicherry that helps mitigate the effects of the flame charred tostadas being dipped into the salsa roja (35,000 on the Scoville scale). The strawberries provide a perfect compliment and are, of course, local.

Carol Ann and I are pleased that Bell’s Brewery puts up their fabulous brown ale in 16 ounce cans which makes for a perfect 8 ounce split for a meal like this.

Note: I just learned that this convenient 16 oz. can is being pulled by Bell’s Brewery. That does not diminish our fondness for the brew, but it’s an inconsiderate decision which will result in my little family consuming much less of it. 12 ounces being too little for us to split at lunch and 24 ounces being too much. Our options? Water or tea I guess.

Bell’s Brown Ale

MORE IRONWEED KITCHEN ESSAYS

37. lamb & eggs

38. chicken stock from the barbie

39. really risotto

40. bread rules

41.eggs, hash & coffee

42. cannellini soup

43. lemon guacamole

44. smokey salsa verde

Thanks for visiting with me.

Paul V’Soske

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